


Family Reunion

by GreatestChange



Series: Roll with the Punches [9]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/F, Family Issues, Fluff, Hurt, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:40:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 54,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28862718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreatestChange/pseuds/GreatestChange
Summary: While visiting her parents in Quebec with Asami, Korra hopes to make amends with Tonraq and put her afflicting past behind her for good.
Relationships: Korra & Senna (Avatar), Korra & Tonraq (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato
Series: Roll with the Punches [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1347502
Comments: 432
Kudos: 892





	1. Detour

_Her room appeared much bigger compared to how she always saw it. Without the dozens of posters covering the walls, random articles of clothing littering the floor, and her vast collection of CDs put away, it looked so much emptier. Hollow._

_It was her mom’s idea to have her clean and put away everything she wasn’t bringing with her to New York. In the process, Korra felt like she was being forced to strip away a significant part of herself and box it away. Senna claimed that Korra was ‘starting a clean slate,’ but Korra saw it as another effort in her parents' plan for full-blown_ _authoritarianism_ _._

_In the past, Korra resented her room because it made her feel isolated and trapped. After getting placed on punishment every other month, it became her sanctuary. It was a piece of herself that she made into her only outlet of expression, and one that nobody could take away from her. It was something she made into her own that her parents would never understand, nor did Korra want them to._

_She had her headphones in, fueling her angst through the words of Nirvana, when a loud knock came to the door and caught her attention._

_“Can I come in?”_

_Korra blinked at the sound of her father’s voice. She was facing the bed and currently storing away the last couple of shirts into her suitcase. In her hands currently was a purple sweater her mother knitted for her. Purple because it was Senna’s favorite color. She wanted Korra to enjoy it in all its pigments and variations as much as she did. Korra stuffed it into the nearby trash bag with the rest of the items she’d be giving away for donation._

_“It’s your house,” she said, pulling out her headphones, though she was unwilling to look back._

_She heard him walk forward, his footsteps falling loud against the wooden floorboard. He stopped at the one loose panel that would creak and groan each time under the strain. For years he told Korra that he would fix it._

_“We’re heading out soon. Are you ready to go?” he asked her._

_“Almost,” Korra responded, her voice clipped. The lull that followed her reply added further to her irritation._

_“That’s all you’re taking with you?” Tonraq questioned. There were three boxes all taped up and ready to go beside Korra’s bed._

_“That’s not enough? Or were you hoping I would empty out the entire room and leave no sign of me ever being here in the first place?”_

_Tonraq released a sigh. Korra could always tell by the way he breathed in response to her what kind of mood he was in. This one seemed more patient than the ones he gave in recent weeks._

_“You’re mad. I understand that,” he said._

_Korra waited and then shook her head. She turned to her father and glared. “Do you? Because right now it doesn’t seem like you understand me at all.”_

_Tonraq looked down and folded his arms over his chest. Korra watched him contemplate her words, and the more she stared at him, the angrier she became. She turned back around and stuffed the remaining shirts into the suitcase without folding them. Then she slammed the suitcase shut and latched the clips in place._

_“I was a troubled kid too, you know?” Tonraq said a minute later. “I did things I can’t take back, I was disrespectful, and I didn’t realize how good I had it until I almost lost it all.”_

_“Haven’t you already batted me over the head enough times with that story?” Korra spoke in a harsh tone._

_“Apparently not, since we’ve reached this point. What I’m trying to say is that I know exactly what you’re going through. And I promise you that what we’re giving you right now is a second chance.”_

_“A second chance at what exactly? I’m not some criminal you pluck off the street every day and throw behind bars, so stop treating me like one.”_

_“You’re not a criminal,” Tonraq agreed. “But this recent behavior of yours is unacceptable. Your mother and I have given you every chance to correct it, and you haven’t yet. This new opportunity will put you in an environment where you can be around a lot of positive influences who could put you on the right path.”_

_Korra snorted. “You think a bunch of prissy, privileged rich kids are supposed to bring me down to earth? What a twisted sense of logic.”_

_“Korra,” Tonraq said. His tone gave warning, but Korra didn’t care._

_“I’m 16 years old and you’re expecting me to already have a book published on world hunger or be gallivanting around the world on some Peace Corps mission. But hey, maybe that wouldn’t even be good enough for you either.”_

_She walked to her closet and opened it. There was nothing else she needed in there anymore, but she welcomed any kind of distance she could get away from her father and his silly notions._

_Tonraq’s voice piped in again a minute later._

_“I’m also hoping this new opportunity will give you more of a chance to grow up,” he said, glossing over her snappy response. “There’s a lot more you need to learn about life. Maybe you’ll even be happier.”_

_“At this point, I’m sure anything would be happier than being in a place where I’m not wanted.”_

_Korra waited, thinking Tonraq would argue against it or say something to the tune of, “We do want you here, but it has to be this way for right now.” Instead, she received deafening silence. Along with it came the numbness due to the cold air that now filtered into her reformed prison._

_The floorboard creaking under Tonraq’s feet brought sound back into the room. Hearing it provided Korra with a vision. That one day, the small creak would become much noisier. That tiny imperfection would then cause the house to cave in on itself._

_“We’re leaving in 10,” Tonraq said, ending the pointless, anticlimactic conversation. He bent down and grabbed two of the boxes before walking out._

_Once he left the room, Korra went and sat down on her bed. Bringing one knee up to her chest, she hugged it._

_Second chances. New opportunities. Happiness. She knew those ideas should’ve sparked hope inside her, and yet all she felt was restraints. Rather than tying her down to the house she_ _prepared to leave, they tied her to the expectations she faced while living there. A lingering thought came to her just then. That if she never met those expectations, she would be worthless._

* * *

Korra shifted in her seat and opened her eyes. She first caught sight of the painted sky in a mix of orange, pink, and blue hues. There were birds ahead flying above in murmuration, and in absence, she began to count them. She reached 10, but the way they drifted up and down made her dizzy and she lost count. Giving a long stretch, she arched her back and heard it crack.

“Hey, you’re awake?” Asami asked from the driver’s seat.

“Yeah,” Korra yawned. “How long was I out?”

“Two hours almost. So much for keeping me company,” Asami teased.

“Sorry,” Korra sheepishly apologized. She looked at the open camber road ahead and noticed they were on an interstate. From each side of them, they could see vast green land as they passed a few bijou houses that were football fields away from each other. Korra could only imagine how tranquil that must’ve been. “Where are we?”

“Napierville last time I checked. We passed through the border about an hour ago if you recall me shaking you awake to get your ID and passport. You fell asleep right after, and the woman attending us said you looked very adorable.”

Korra’s nose tooted up in disgust, then she leaned her head back against the headrest. They’d been on the road since 4 o’clock in the morning. Asami was adamant about it for some reason, and Korra didn’t argue because she wasn’t the one who had to drive out of New York on a Friday.

“You doin’ okay?” Korra asked, checking Asami over for signs of fatigue.

“I’m fine. In fact, while you were asleep, I’ve been brushing up on my linguistics.” Asami pointed to the radio and Korra paused to listen to it. There was a podcast playing in French. It took her longer to make out some of the words, but from what she understood, it was a murder mystery podcast.

“Let me guess, I’ve scared you so much with my horror stories that you now believe my parents will shackle you in the basement?”

“I didn’t take Senna as the type of person for bondage.”

“Oh, ew,” Korra made a disgusted face and then shuddered. “Thanks for that unwanted image.”

Asami chuckled and drummed her fingers against the wheel. “I’ll admit that it’s been a while since I brushed up on my French. Luckily, I’ve still got it.”

“Now I’m afraid you’re going to make me look bad in my home country,” Korra said.

“Didn’t you have to learn it in your primary and secondary schools?”

“I did, but I haven’t spoken much of it in the past ten years. I’m out of practice.”

“Ne t’inquiètes pas, mon amour. C'est pour ça que tu me gardes près de toi..”

“True. But you’re good for other things too.”

“See? You understood me just fine. It’s like muscle memory. Besides, I doubt we’ll be speaking much of it in Québec City. I’m more excited to see how much your adorable little accent comes out.”

“There is _no_ accent,” Korra denied.

“You’ve gotten good at hiding it, except for the way you say ‘sorry’ sometimes,” Asami said, doing her best impression.

“Does this thing turn up any higher?” Korra asked, fiddling with the radio to try and hear more about the agriculture of a murder mansion.

“Tell me, Korra, what’s that thing you asked me if I wanted to do the other day because you were too lazy to cook?”

“I’m not falling for that.” Korra folded her arms and looked out the window, feeling a blush rising in her cheeks. Asami continued to laugh.

“Come on, tell me what it is. Either that or I blast Céline Dion for the next hundred miles… you know, for that good ol’ Canadian effect,” she threatened.

Korra grumbled. Asami was so evil! With her arms still folded, Korra fixed her mouth and released a deep breath.

“Take _out_ ,” she uttered fast.

Asami could’ve driven into the other lane from how hard she was laughing. Then she repeated the word through deep breaths. “God that’s so adorable.”

“You’re the worst!” Korra complained but couldn’t refrain from smiling at the joyous sound of Asami’s laugh. “You're lucky that you’re driving right now.”

“I’m sure you’ll make me pay later.” Asami yawned and covered her mouth while keeping the other hand steady on the wheel. “Excuse me,” she said and gave herself a shake.

“Are you sure you’re good?” Korra asked, growing a little concerned.

“Oui, oui!” Asami cheered. She reached for Korra’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “I mean we’re not in an RV, but I could get used to driving through the countryside with you snoring by my side.”

“I _don’t_ snore.”

“No,” Asami smiled a little. She squeezed Korra’s hand and dropped it, then she put both hands back on the wheel. Her expression turned more pensive. “But you do mumble in your sleep sometimes.”

“I do?” Korra’s eyebrows shot up.

“At least for the past week you have,” Asami said.

“Oh.”

Korra wanted to follow up and ask what exactly Asami heard, but instead, she kept quiet and played with her hands. She knew by her silence that it gave Asami more of a reason to ask the same question she’d been asking for the past few days. One that confused Korra up until now.

“How are you feeling?”

Korra almost gave a simple answer—the one she kept giving—but it wouldn’t have been honest. She looked forward, watching the other few cars on the road as the sun came to full rise.

“The closer we get, the more I have cold feet,” she said.

“What about this is scaring you the most?” Asami asked softly.

Korra sighed. There were a lot of things that scared her, but they all centered around one general idea that she couldn’t keep out of her head.

“That he’s not going to accept me,” she said. “That I’ll end up proving him right all along about what he said all those years ago.”

“He was wrong then, and he would be wrong now,” Asami told her. “You weren’t the perfect kid, but no kid ever is. And for a parent to expect that is _them_ being the failure. It took me a long time to realize that about my dad.”

Korra nodded solemnly. “I keep thinking that I wouldn’t be so apprehensive about it if I had an actual career. That way I could just walk into the room yelling, ‘in your face!’ or whatever. It’s what I always wanted to happen if I ever came face to face with him ever again.”

“Well, you may not have that passionate career yet, but I’m sure there are other things you’ll be passionate about showing off.”

Korra smiled and looked over. “You’re not very subtle.”

“No?” Asami smiled back.

“I really am happy you were able to come with me,” Korra confessed. “I don’t think I’d be strong enough to do this on my own.”

“I’m sure you could. But either way, I’m glad I’m here, too. This is just as important to me as it is to you.”

“Really?”

“Of course. They’re your family, and one day…” Asami trailed off, and then she blushed.

Korra’s heart thumped. “One day what?”

Asami pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t want to sound selfish, because I know this isn’t easy for you. And I’m not expecting everything to be picture-perfect after five days together. But what I’m hoping is that it’ll give you and them a fresh start for a better family dynamic. I want to be a part of that too.”

Korra breathed outward. She anticipated something else coming out of Asami’s mouth, but what she said made much more sense. Reaching forward, she brushed Asami’s cheek with the back of her hand. If she lost sight of everything else, the one thing that would remain was the reason she was able to do any of this to begin with.

“That’s not selfish at all,” she responded. “Although, I guess it’d be too much to ask you to pull over to the side of the road and give me some last-minute motivational loving?”

Asami laughed as she switched lanes to pass the truck in front of them. “As fun and exciting as that would be, I already have a bigger surprise planned for you.”  
“A surprise?” Korra lifted a brow in curiosity. “What kind of surprise?”

“One you’ll just have to wait and see.”

“Does this have anything to do with why you insisted on us leaving at an hour when even the crickets are asleep?”

“Maaaybe.”

“You live for putting me on the edge, don’t you?”

Asami glanced at her with a suggestive look, her eyebrows wiggling. “Oui.”

* * *

They drove for 50 more minutes until Asami took a detour on the A-10 heading west toward Montréal. After making several guessing attempts and receiving several headshakes from Asami in response, Korra stopped guessing and sat back to watch the aesthetical city come into view.

“I haven’t been here in so long,” she mused.

“Did you come here often when you were a kid?” Asami asked.

“My mom loved coming every year for the First Peoples Festival. She would drag me and my dad with her.”

“You didn’t like it?”

“I did when I was little, but as I grew up, I hated being forced to do all the kiddie activities. The concerts were always my favorite.” Korra smiled at the memory of those hot summer days with her sitting in the grass near her father under a tree. They would smile and laugh as Senna spun and danced all around them. Then she would pull Korra up by the arms and forced her feet to move as well. Though always reluctant at first, Korra would soon follow by example until they were in perfect sync. The roots of the tree were strummed by the wooden oak drums that played, and the energy that burst free from the ground vivified everyone. Through that, Korra experienced her first taste of what freedom should’ve been like.

“That beats going to boring business dinners and watching a bunch of drunk people make fools out of themselves,” Asami said.

“Anything beats that, to be fair.”

“Did you guys do anything else while you were here?”

“Not really. I remember always wanting to go to La Grande Roue de Montréal, but my parents would always say we didn’t have enough time and needed to get back home.”

“Interesting…”

Asami kept driving for the next 20 minutes until they reached the heart of downtown Montréal. Tightly packed streets with casual eateries, wholesale markets, and sheet glass-covered buildings caught Korra’s eyes first. She thought after living in New York for so long she would’ve been apathetic toward the scene, but New York never provided this much ardency. Everything there was cold and serious and cutthroat. Arriving in Montréal gave Korra that same feeling she had when she was a wide-eyed child looking for an adventure.

They drove up to an imposing building and Asami put the car in park. Korra stared out the window at the several people flouncing down the sidewalk in bliss, then she stared up at the building in wonder.

“The Ritz-Carlton hotel?” she questioned and then turned to Asami who just smiled. “I told my mom we’d be at the house by the mid-afternoon.”

“She already knew in advance what I was planning a little spa day.”

“Spa day?” Korra repeated, and then she glanced over the building again. “In _here?_ ”

“There’s a spa facility inside. I’ve scheduled us for massages, facials, manicures and pedicures, and hair appointments.”

“Wow…” Korra sat there stunned for a minute. “I guess I know now the reason why you wanted us to hit the road so early.”

Asami wore a self-conscious expression just then. “I can cancel if you don’t want to. I know you’ve been stressed these past few weeks leading up to this, so I thought you could use something to calm your nerves a little bit before we get to your parents’ place. But if you think this is pushing it…”

Korra grabbed Asami’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I love it.”

As quick as that nervous look flitted across Asami’s face, it went away in an instant and she smiled. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Korra kissed the inside of Asami’s wrist and unbuckled her seatbelt. “I thought I was hiding it pretty well, but I should know by now there’s no fooling you.”

“It wasn’t that hard. You’ve been biting your nails a lot. Hence the much-needed manicure.”

“How sweet,” Korra deadpanned, then looked down at her nails in disconcertion. “Admittedly though, I’ve never had a manicure or spa _anything_ before.”

Asami wrapped an arm around Korra’s shoulders. “You’ve come a long way, baby.”

“You were just looking for an excuse to call me that.”

“A little. But don’t act like you don’t like it. I have evidence that proves otherwise.”

“That was one time, and clearly there was already some stimulation there,” Korra said, another blush tinting her cheeks.

“What an interesting way to phrase it.”

Rolling her eyes, Korra grabbed hold of the door handle and propped it open. “Are we going to keep sitting here, or are we going in?”

Asami chortled and turned the car off. “Après vous _, bébé._ ”

“You’re not funny.” Korra pushed the door open and got out first. She looked up at the building, and from the outside, it looked like any typical hotel she would see on the streets of New York. But based on Asami’s taste, Korra knew the inside would appear nothing short of prestigious and elegant.

She looked down at her outfit and made a ‘tching’ noise at her simple pair of jeans and an old sweatshirt she wore for her own comfort due to the 8-hour car ride. What could she say? She got cold easily.

Removing the sweater, she threw it into the back of the car, but that only left her in a simple black tank top that exposed her stomach. Lately she’d been feeling a little bit more conscious about her attire whenever she went someplace special with Asami. She didn’t dress terribly, but comparing her closet to Asami’s, Korra’s was a lot less formal.

“Ready?” Asami asked as she came around the car and onto the sidewalk. She was all smiling with her large Gucci sunglasses covering her face.

“I might be a little underdressed,” Korra said, and she hated the small bit of insecurity that peeked through her tone.

Asami scanned Korra’s outfit for herself, but her shades were too dark for Korra to assess her opinion.

“You look fine. Perfect even.”

“You’re my girlfriend, so you’re legally obligated to say that.”

Asami chuckled and walked forward. Grabbing Korra’s hand, she gave her a peck on the cheek. At the same time, a young woman their age smiled at them as she walked by.

“Come on, I’ve been here before and I promise you it’s a place with a lot of comities,” Asami said.

They entered the lobby of the hotel, and the valet was the first to greet them. Korra listened (and was a little bit turned on) as Asami spoke French so fluently, exuding confidence. Then they spent a couple of minutes with the girl over at the service desk who remembered Asami from the last time she visited, whenever that was. Asami spoke to everyone with such casual and friendly dialect that it almost felt like they all had dinner last week. Meanwhile, Korra kept quiet, but offered a “hello” and “thank you” when prompted.

They were personally led over to the doors of a spa called St. James, and as they entered, the mix of a gasp and a squeal pierced Korra’s ears. Glancing over, she noticed a short, curly-haired, bouncing blonde making their way toward them—Asami specifically. The platinum blonde went well against their olive skin, and their chiseled jaw and strong cheekbones could’ve been intimidating if it weren’t for their gentle eyes. Looking into them made Korra take Asami’s word about ‘comity’ at face value, and it put her mind at ease.

“My darling, it’s been too long,” the androgynous person spoke in English. Their voice was buttery with a hint of effeminacy, but also thick with an accent.

“It’s so good to see you, Clem,” Asami responded warmly.

“My goodness just look at this face,” Clem said, cupping Asami’s cheeks and turning her face from side to side in admiration. “You adorn the best features of a client who listens and applies everything I tell her. No noticeable pores whatsoever.”

Asami gave a crinkly eyed smile and clasped Clem’s hands. “Oh, but of course. I know how to take care of myself, especially when I walk out of here looking and feeling absolutely _fabuleuse._ ”

“I know that’s right,” Clem said with a snap.

“And there’s someone special I want to introduce you to…”

“Ah yes, the one you’ve been telling me about.” Clem turned, and their eyes landed on Korra. They gasped.

“Oh my.” Clem walked toward Korra. “What gorgeous eyes you have. And that face—!”

“Ah-ah, no touching,” Korra said, leaning away from the stranger’s hands as they inched toward her.

Clem held their hands against their chest. “Je suis navrée. I’m terribly sorry. Sometimes I forget myself when I see someone with striking features such as yours.”

“Uh, thanks,” Korra said, then she stuck out her hand to show no hard feelings. “Korra.”

They took her hand. “Clem Laurent. A pleasure to meet you.” 

“We’re doing the special stress reliever package today, and Clem here is a very well-known esthetician and highly suggested," Asami said. A lot of notorious people have traveled out of the way for Clem’s treatment.”

Clem waved their hand flippantly, “Oh stop before I blush. Now come and I’ll get you guys settled in before putting you in Mona and Jeremy’s hands.”

Asami sighed happily and took Korra by the arm as they walked behind Clem. “Mona’s just the best. I’m like putty in her hands after only five minutes.”

“What does she do exactly?” Korra questioned.

“Intense Nourishment and Aromatherapy. You’ll like it. I came here after I thought I blew this proposal deal with a very important client, and I left forgetting why I came in the first place.”

“It’s the most affable experience you could ever have,” Clem chimed in as they turned the corner. “It’s also one of our most requested packages throughout the year, especially during the holiday months.”

“I see…” Korra looked around, noticing the dimmed lights and warm hues that enriched the marble floors and accented walls.

When they entered the waiting room, Frankincense brushed under Korra’s nose and she breathed it in with little resistance. The waiting room wasn’t a traditional one. Rather than solid, butt-hurting chairs and a standard coffee machine, this one had cushioned chairs in recline and two electric fireplaces that extended across the opposite wall 

A few seats were already occupied, but Clem led them to the other side of the room where no one else sat. There were two fluffy white robes folded neatly on the end of each chair.

“Okay, ladies, slip into those and I’ll let Jeremy and Mona know you’ve arrived. Can I get you anything in the meantime?”

“Rosewater, please,” Asami said as she dropped her purse and sunglasses on the small table beside her chair.

“And for you, mademoiselle?” Clem turned to Korra.

“Err… Just water is fine,” Korra said.

Clem winked at her and walked off. Once they were gone Asami closed her curtain to block off other patrons from seeing them. “I’m already feeling relaxed,” she said.

Korra mimicked her and closed the curtain on the other side, enclosing them in what now felt like a single room. “How much did this all cost?” she asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Asami said and began to undress. “It’s more than worth it, trust me.”

“Thank you for doing this. You didn’t have to.”

After removing her shirt, Asami glanced over her shoulder and smiled. She didn’t respond verbally, but her expression said more than enough. They always took on each other’s emotions and made them their own, and in this case, it wasn’t any different.

About 15 minutes later, the therapists came out, giving the same overjoyed greeting as the others before them when they saw Asami. She seemed popular with everyone in the staff, or they were all just really friendly with their clients. Although, anyone walking inside the building would need a weighted wallet, so it made sense.

They were escorted through a door and down a hall, passing several rooms until they reached one door at the end. The room they entered was lit with a couple of candles, and there were freshly watered plants in every corner. Wilderness sounds played in the background, adding to the room's orgone setting.

Jeremy and Mona made sure they were both situated before leaving the room for a moment to allow them to disrobe.

“I didn’t think you frequented here that much,” Korra commented.

“I don’t anymore… Well, as much as I did before.” Asami loosened her belt and then paused to glance up at Korra. “After I got that inheritance from my father and sat on it for a while, I sort of lived in this hotel.”

“Really?” Korra looked at her curiously. “So, you took a mini-vacation.”

“Pretty much. I needed to be on my own for a little while before making any sort of decision on what to do with the company. So I went away for a few weeks after my fall semester at school ended.”

“You never mentioned this before,” Korra said.

“It’s not something I’m very proud of,” Asami said, looking down. “I wanted to be invisible, so I cut everyone off for about a month. Of course that pissed off some people.”

“By some, you mean Mako?”

Asami nodded. “For the most part. When I came back, I had a lot of explaining to do. That was also probably the only time I’ve ever seen Opal and Bolin infuriated with me. Those two are pretty fast to forgive though.” 

“You needed space,” Korra said. She of all people could understand that.

“I did, but I could’ve done it differently. I realize that now.”

Korra looked around the room again. “I can see why you’d want to stay in a place like this.”

“You haven’t even seen a quarter of what this place has to offer. We’ll have to come back and spend a couple of nights here sometime.”

“That would be nice,” Korra said with a smile.

“Maybe for our one-year anniversary? We could spend Christmas up here, then visit your parents for your birthday and New Year’s.”

“Oh, wow… Um, how about we see how this first visit goes before we start moving forward with any other plans?” Korra said.

“Right.” Asami appeared embarrassed. “Guess I’m getting ahead of myself, huh?”

Korra got up from her chair and walked over. She pulled the belt of Asami’s robe and made her walk forward.

“Your optimism is exactly what I need,” Korra told her. “More than any of this, that specifically is what I need the most. So, will you keep that optimism for me for the entire duration of this trip?”

Asami nodded with a look of determination to complete her most important mission. “I will.”

Korra cupped her cheek and kissed her.

“You and me, Sato,” she said.

Asami bumped their foreheads together and exhaled.

“Yeah… You and me,” she repeated.

* * *

Asami fell asleep at some point during the massage and slept for the rest of it. Jeremy’s hands weren’t as good as Mona’s, but she figured Korra could’ve used that magical touch a lot more than her. It seemed to do the trick, because Korra fell asleep as well. When she woke up and looked over at Asami, there was a stricken look on her face, no doubt in disbelief that she could ever feel so relaxed. Well, not as relaxed as she was under Asami’s hands (duh), but a lot more than when they left early this morning. Possibly even the entire week leading up to this day.

She knew that Korra hadn’t been sleeping lately. The last few nights were a testament to that. She thought to bring it up, or at least ask Korra about it, but she got the feeling that if she did Korra would fold into herself, brush it off, or worse push Asami away. Instead, Asami gave a gentle poke at the issue, hoping that Korra would understand she could talk about it with her at any time. After all, Asami had her share of bad dreams before in Korra’s presence, and Korra wouldn’t bat an eyelash. She would wrap her arms around Asami and whisper, “I’m here,” as if already knowing the cause of Asami’s distress. Those dreams came at the beginning of their relationship when everything was still new and they were getting used to being back in each other’s lives. But on the nights she did have them, she made sure to hold on to Korra a little bit tighter.

She wanted to say it was just Korra’s nerves getting the best of her. That Korra would feel better once they got to the house and saw Senna and Tonraq in person. But Asami worried that a similar situation would play out like what happened when Senna first arrived in New York—limited communication at first, and jaded feelings getting in the way of progression. Granted, they were staying in Quebec for five days rather than the three Senna spent with them… But how much of a difference could that make if no one admitted their true feeling until it was too late?

She felt a flick in the middle of her brow and opened her eyes to look up at Clem.

“You’re so tense!” they said. “Relax.”

“Sorry,” Asami mumbled and shut her eyes again. Clem’s hands resumed massaging deep into her cheeks, forehead, and temples.

It was hard not to feel that way, but she trusted that it would all work itself out in the end. Because despite Korra’s indecisiveness and nervousness, she was taking this big step on her own without the push. She wanted to make amends and heal rather than hang on to that anger that consumed her for so long and almost swallowed her whole. Korra _wanted_ this.

The question was how much Tonraq felt the same. He told Senna he wanted to see Korra, but for what purpose? To apologize? Admit he was wrong?

Asami wished it was both of those things for Korra’s sake. She only heard stories about Tonraq so far, and until meeting Senna three months ago, she had no image of the man to go off of. But if he was in any way like her father in the way Korra described, hellacious seemed like the perfect word to sum him up.

Asami needed to meet him and have a proper conversation before forming her own opinion, of course. But the anticipation of what those first few minutes would be like gave her second thoughts. She wondered if she could be in the presence of someone who, up until now, she thought of as having similar characteristics as Hiroshi. But none of this was about her, and she needed to swallow down any sort of complex she thought she would feel in Tonraq’s presence.

Keeping that level of optimism Korra needed her to have was Asami’s main goal. She wanted that opportunity to be a part of Korra’s family and the process of rebuilding a foundation they could all grow and benefit. She knew it was possible and that it could work. _God_ she hoped it would work.

“Tense, tense, tense.” Clem tapped their finger against the middle of Asami’s forehead. Asami apologized again, and this time she did relax for the next 20 minutes. Clem smoothed out any worry lines and the deep pores she knew she accumulated in the past year. She would’ve killed to see Korra’s reaction to receiving this treatment, but they switched off between the hairstylist and Clem. She did have the pleasure of seeing Korra squirm when they got their mani-pedis.

Clem was rubbing in one final oil onto Asami’s face when they gasped.

“What?” Asami panicked and reached up to touch her face, wondering if Clem somehow made a mistake. Clem snatched her hand before her fingers reached her skin. She opened her eyes and sat up, looking over at where Clem was staring.

Korra stood in the doorway, her face riddled with nervousness. Her hair came down her shoulders in loose waves, the bangs pinned back and out of her pampered face.

“I-Is it too different?” Korra asked when Asami hadn’t said anything. Then she tugged at one end of her hair.

“You look _gorgeous,_ ” Clem answered when Asami took another minute. Their compliment fell on deaf ears for Korra, though. She remained focused on Asami and waited for her paramount opinion.

Standing up, Asami walked over to her girlfriend, continuing to gawk, but that seemed to only make Korra more insecure.

“It’s too different,” Korra decided and began to turn. “Maybe it’s not too late to change it. I can change it.”

Asami grabbed Korra by the arm and pulled her back. “You so much as let that stylist touch another hair on your head and I promise we really will be listening to Céline Dion for the rest of the way to Beauport."

“So… You like it then?” Korra asked, still unsure.

“I’m speechless,” Asami said. Every day Korra’s beauty struck her, but today she looked so mature and prepared for whatever came next. Asami’s heart swelled thinking of how far they came to reach this point.

Before she could stop herself, and forgetting their current environment, she held Korra’s face in her hands and kissed her.

Clem tutted at them. “Not the face! That’s some of my best work this week!”

Asami laughed and forced herself to pull away, still overcome by the breathtaking sight of Korra.

“Sorry, Clem. Can you blame me?”

Clem thought about it. “You make a good point.”

Korra grinned, her skin shiny and refreshed, then she squeezed Asami’s hands.

“Thank you again for this. I really needed it.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“You both did a number on me, that’s for sure.” Clem cracked their fingers. “Let me get your tote bags before you guys head out,” they said and left the room.

“It’s too bad we have to leave so soon.” Korra sighed in disappointment.

“Well, there’s still one last place we can visit before we go.”

Korra stopped and stared before reading Asami’s mind, then her eyes gleamed. “Really? You think we’ll have enough time?”

“Absolutely,” Asami said. She would make time. Anything to brighten Korra’s experience before they reached their final destination.

* * *

It didn’t take long to get to Old Montréal. It was a gorgeous day out, fall foliage already at work in a few places, and Halloween decorations in store windows to greet it. There were a lot of people out taking advantage of one of the last warm days they would see for a while. Outdoor seating at restaurants were packed, and patrons walked around visiting all the local attractions, lingering about on the pier, or sailing out on the St. Lawrence River on their boats and yachts.

Once they parked in a nearby lot, Asami and Korra made a beeline for La Grande Roue de Montréal. The enormous Ferris wheel towered over everything else and gave a spectacular view of Montréal once you reached the top.

Korra led Asami over to the ice cream shop located below the wheel and bought them two small cones inside cups. Then they went and got some popcorn from another nearby vendor.

“Your mom’s going to kill us if we spoil our dinner,” Asami pointed out.

“There are still three more hours until Beauport, so that’s enough time to work up an appetite,” Korra rationalized.

They got to the Ferris wheel and Korra showed off their tickets to the admissions assistant. She bought them from her phone five minutes before arriving.

“I could’ve paid for it,” Asami complained.

“You’ve paid for enough. Let me treat you for once,” Korra said.

Asami wrapped an arm around Korra’s shoulder and whispered against the shell of her ear. “I’d say something inappropriate right now, but we’re in public.”

Korra giggled and reached up to grab Asami’s hand, interlocking their fingers.

“You two seem like a close pair of friends,” said the guy printing out Korra’s receipt. His salt and pepper hair matched his old-fashioned ideologies, apparently.

“We’re a lot more than that, sir,” Asami tried to correct him.

“Oh yeah?” he looked up at them finally, noticing their proximity and friendly touching. “Sisters?”

“Better even. We’re fraternal twins actually,” Korra said, and she hooked her arm around Asami’s waist.

“Whoa,” the older man’s eyes widened, and he looked back and forth between them. “That’s insane! H-how?”

“It’s still a mystery to us,” Korra said, putting a finger to her lips and shushing him as if it was their little secret.

“A-amazing,” he said in a daze and handed over Korra’s receipt. “Have a nice ride.”

“Thank you, sir. Come along, _sis,_ ” Korra said and pulled Asami along. Asami—who’d barely been holding it together in the first place—burst into laughter as they ran off.

They got inside their passenger car and started making their slow ascent upward. After indulging Asami with a couple of selfies and some other Instagram worthy pictures, Korra handed over the popcorn and stuck with licking her melting cone as she stared out the large glass. Asami didn’t even think Korra realized how hard she was smiling.

“You’re like a little kid,” Asami commented, smiling herself.

Korra looked at her, and she didn’t look embarrassed at all by being caught. “I’m living out a childhood fantasy of mine. Let me have my moment.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Asami said. She licked her own ice cream and stared out to the left of her. She could see people walking along the dock, couples, and children hand in hand. Seeing it made her thoughts wander, which then brought on a wave of nostalgia for her as well as a soft pang in her chest.

“What’s wrong?” Korra asked.

“Huh? Oh.” Asami blinked herself out of her trance. “Sorry. Just went down memory lane a little.”

“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”

“Good guess,” Asami said and stared out the window. “That time I stayed here for a month I went on a constant loop on here. I wished it would take me back in time or fast forward me to a place in my life where everything was right, and I _felt_ right. But the more I spun, the more I realized that I was stuck...” Asami looked at Korra, who wore a sympathetic expression now. Seeing her sitting there brought a smile to Asami’s face. “I certainly never imagined that I’d be back here a few years later, feeling the happiest I’ve ever been with the person I was always supposed to be with.”

Korra smiled back warmly and turned, leaning her shoulder against the window. “This is one of those moments you wish you could freeze, right? Because nothing seems more perfect, and out there—” she tipped her head to the outside “—out there’s just so much more mystery. So many things that could happen. Good or bad.”

Asami blew her lips together. “Exactly that. It’s always you and me versus what’s out there. I may be weaker than you, but there’s still that side of me that always wants to protect you and keep you close.”

“You’re not weak,” Korra said. She shifted over to Asami and brought her knee up between them, her arm stretching out over the back of the seat. “You’re the reason why I’m doing this, and I could’ve never gotten this far all by myself. Dealing with me and all my issues… that takes a hell of a lot of strength.”

“How did this turn all sappy all of a sudden?” Asami asked, chuckling even though she felt a log in the back of her throat.

“We’ve established before that we’re sappy people, haven’t we?” Korra asked.

“Yeah, but now I feel like we’re at the end of some epic romance film. All that’s missing is a ring, I guess.”

“What?” Korra looked taken off guard.

“I’m kidding,” Asami said.

“Oh, r-right.”

“It would be the perfect spot though, wouldn’t it?” Asami questioned. They were midway up in the sky now, and the afternoon sun shed its light over every inch it could touch. “We come back here, there’s a beautiful sunset, everything’s so clear for the both of us. Then I just look over at you and pop the question.”

“You’re assuming you’d be the one to ask?” Korra asked, some dithery in her tone, and then her brow lifted. “Don’t tell me you have some secret ring you’re hoarding around at every moment?”

“The only thing I’m carrying is my eternal love for you,” Asami said, wrapping an arm around Korra.

“Okay now _that_ was sappy.”

“You love it. You know you love it.” Asami poked her in the cheek.

Korra scoffed, but she leaned her head on Asami’s shoulder and relaxed.

“Tell me it’s all going to be fine,” Korra uttered softly. “Tell me I’m doing the right thing.”

Asami tightened her hold around Korra and kissed her forehead.

“You’re opening up a door that you’ve kept shut for so long, and that’s commendable. Nothing and no one can take that away from you, and I wouldn’t let them. Go in there remembering what made you want to do this. It’s going to be fine. You’re absolutely doing the right thing.”

Korra nodded against Asami and released a heavy breath. “It’ll be fine,” she repeated.

Asami closed her eyes. In the next few hours, they would be in Korra’s hometown again, and what awaited them, like many things out there, was a mystery. But so long as they remembered these crucial moments, maybe that alone would be enough to keep them safe.

**TBC…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to [@Kf1n3](https://twitter.com/Kf1n3) for that gorgeous artwork I commissioned. Go check them out! 
> 
> I keep getting asked the same question, so I feel like this needs to be addressed. To all of my Spanish readers: 
> 
> Me notificaron que Roll with the Punches fue robado y publicado en otros sitios en inglés y español. La persona que lo publicó en español también robó el resto de la serie y lo publicó en Wattpad antes de ser denunciado. También se hizo pasar por mí y respondieron a los lectores como si fueran yo. Solo quiero dejar una cosa absolutamente clara: AO3 es el único lugar donde se publicarán mis fics a menos que diga lo contrario. Si crees que está bien robar las obras de otros, tienes huevos para hacer algo tan estúpido. Reevalúa tus pasatiempos y escribe tus propios fics. Es un mundo más pequeño de lo que piensas para intentar salirte con la tuya.
> 
> _Shoutout to my bff for this well put A/N!_


	2. Homecoming (1)

Korra’s nerves shot the second they entered Beauport. If she was remembering right, the last time she stepped foot in her hometown was the week of Christmas during her senior year. She couldn’t recall a single moment worth noting aside from the arguing and her father getting called into work as always on Christmas. Then Korra headed back to New York right after that pitiful holiday celebration despite Senna’s pleas for her to stay until her birthday. 

Beauport wasn’t a bad place to live by any means, but Korra always associated it with all the limitations placed on her—everything that held her back. She could never appreciate it back then. But as they drove through the borough and the wave of nostalgia hit, Korra could admire its robust environment. The storefronts and landmarks they passed, both old and new, were inviting. It reminded her of Saturday mornings running errands with her mother. As they'd pass by spruce and sugar maple trees, a young, nescient Korra would ask if they lived in the wilds like on the animal channel. Senna would shake her head with a smile and then say, “no, but nature lived here long before anyone else did.”

Korra remained quiet and immersed herself in memories, both good and bad. Asami didn’t seem to mind. Even she marveled at the scenery once she drove out of downtown Beauport to the outer suburbs. They went up a steep hill where they reached the copious number of houses and neighborhoods. Parents played with their children outside in their immaculate yards as they enjoyed the evening before nightfall. 

When they turned into Korra’s neighborhood, Korra inhaled as if she was preparing to take a blow to the abdomen. Asami heard it and reached for Korra’s hand. “You’ve got this,” she emboldened. 

Korra nodded and drummed her fingers against her thigh. _Deep breaths. Deep breaths._

They pulled into a square driveway where a silver Volvo was already parked, and Asami stopped the car beside it. The low rumble of the engine roared in Korra’s ears as she took a moment to embrace the scenery.

“Wow. This is your old house,” Asami finally said, staring up at it in splendor.

“A few changes to the exterior and a bird feeder installed in the yard, but yeah. This is it. It’s not much to look at compared to the other houses around,” Korra said, looking it over as well. It still had its dark gray paneling and white trimming, though the paint looked refreshed in recent years. The front yard looked as well kept as ever no doubt through the efforts of Senna. 

“It looks nice. Unique even,” Asami said. She turned off the car and rested against the seat. I can see why your mom’s so proud of it. Every other week it sounds like she’s doing something different with it.”

“Okay, can I just say again how weird it is that you two are in constant communication?” Korra said. 

“Don’t worry. I’ve told her to save your most incriminating baby stories for when we meet in person again, so you’ve been in the clear up until this point.” 

“How thoughtful,” Korra said, narrowing her eyes. Asami didn’t notice because she closed hers. She looked so exhausted. “Why don’t you head inside? I can grab the bags.”

“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.” Asami shook off the depletion and opened the door. Though still concerned, Korra followed after her. They were getting their suitcases out of the car when the front door to the house opened.

“You guys finally made it!” Senna said, all smiles as she picked up her long yellow skirt and descended the porch steps so regally. 

Korra put her bag down on the pavement and turned as Senna approached with her arms extended. She wrapped them around Korra’s shoulders and pulled her in close. Even though they had so many conversations over the phone and resolved some issues, it still surprised Korra to have any sort of affection from her mother after not having it for so long. Even so, she hugged Senna back with as much vigor. 

“Hi, Mom,” she said.

“I’m so happy you’re here. And look at your hair!” Senna pulled away and admired Korra’s appearance. “You look so beautiful! I’m guessing you enjoyed your little detour?” 

Korra blushed when she felt Senna’s fingers brushing through her hair. “Thanks. And yeah, it was nice.” 

“I’m sorry for the delay,” Asami said. “We kind of fell behind schedule.” 

“If anything, I should apologize for the number of texts I sent earlier today.” 

Korra turned to Asami and lifted a brow. Her girlfriend gnashed her teeth together and shrugged. “I didn’t mind,” she told Senna.

“I can’t drive for more than 4 hours at a time without looking like a wreck. Yet here you both are looking so exquisite.” Senna smiled at them both. Then she released Korra in favor of embracing Asami. Korra’s heart fluttered when a soft expression flickered across Asami’s face the longer Senna hugged her. 

“You could never look bad,” Asami said, a flush in her cheeks at Senna’s compliment. “It’s so good to see you again.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Senna replied, pulling away. Then she grabbed one of Asami’s hands and reached for Korra’s. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this day since Korra said she would come. Hearing that she was bringing you was the icing on the cake.” 

Asami smiled and looked over at Korra. “I’m happy I get to be here for this too,” she said. 

“I’ve already gotten so ahead of myself!” Senna said. “Let’s get you guys inside.” 

They started gathering their bags, but then Korra glanced at the open front door and noticed an enormous piece missing from the puzzle. Senna’s eyes met hers, and she answered Korra’s silent question with anticipation. 

“He had to work today, but he’s getting off early and should be home in a few hours.”

“Oh,” Korra said. Any shred of disappointment or agitation she felt when she heard that got squared away with all the other instances. 

“He did try to get off early,” Senna added quickly. “It’s just that things at the station are—”

“You don’t have to explain, I get it,” Korra said, offering a tight smile. With that, she grabbed her suitcase along with one of Asami’s and headed toward the house. She didn’t mean to sound so dismissive, but she was already overwhelmed with the sight of her old home, and she hadn’t even entered it yet. There wasn’t any need to speed down memory lane of her father’s broken promises and indolent excuses.

Senna kept the cheer in her voice as she led them to the house. She asked questions about the drive and the spa to which Asami answered with mutual mirth. Korra was too busy watching her steps as she entered the house for the first time in close to a decade. 

It looked the same for the most part, only with swapped out furniture pieces. The wood paneling on the floor had a new sheen look, and the walls in the foyer were french vanilla rather than the previous oxford white. 

Senna pointed them to the closet near the L-shaped staircase where they could remove their shoes.

“This is so lovely,” Asami commented, glancing around with bright eyes. 

“It’s been my passion project for 30 years almost.” Senna looked around the room with pride, then joked, “Tonraq’s always coming home and asking, ‘what’s new?’” 

Korra caught a whiff of something familiar coming from the kitchen and turned to her mother. “Is that…”

“Maple and butternut squash?” Senna grinned. “Yeah. I hoped it would still be a favorite of yours along with buffalo stew.” 

Hearing the names of her favorite meals from her childhood made Korra salivate. “If it’s the way I always remember you making it, then yeah.” 

“Lovely. And for Asami, I’m preparing tomato, herb, and cheese crostata. Have you ever tried it?” 

“No, but I have a feeling I’ll be obsessed after today,” Asami answered.

“I can only hope. I wanted to make something special for you both.”

“You didn’t have to go through all the trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Today is a celebration—a homecoming. And for a special occasion such as this one, I’m going to make sure we’re all well-fed.” 

Korra smiled at her mother’s explanation. Whenever she would come home for a visit, Senna would do her best to let Korra know they were happy to see her. One of the ways she did included whipping up Korra’s favorite meals. At the time, Korra was too bitter and cynical to consider that gesture as heartfelt. Instead, she boiled it down to Senna trying to resolve her guilty conscience. This time, none of those thoughts came to mind. 

They did a quick tour around the downstairs area for Asami’s benefit. Senna would repeatedly let her know that she was free to make herself comfortable and feel at home. She'd also ask in eagerness for Korra’s opinion on the recent kitchen renovations. Korra didn’t have much of one, but she still made an effort to respond and point out all the subtle differences such as the newly installed square bookshelf for kitchen recipes, and the soapstone countertops. Seeing Senna’s eyes sparkle with glee made it worth it. 

Asami continued to match Senna’s enthusiasm, but Korra noticed some fatigue beginning to show around her eyes. They finally walked upstairs, and Senna pointed out the linen closet and extra bathroom in the hall. They also passed by an array of paintings and some ancient artifacts Senna collected. They stood on display cases and shelves built into the walls.

“Are you a collector, Senna?” Asami asked as she walked by a couple of pieces while rolling her suitcase behind her. 

“Sort of. I think of it as more of a hobby, though some would disagree.” Senna gave Korra a wink. 

“There’s so much detail.” Asami observed a mask hanging against the wall and touched it.

“A lot of my friends from my village back in Nunavut send me stuff from time to time. Either stuff they no longer wanted or handmade themselves. They see me as some sort of preserver of the culture.” 

“You’re a historian,” Asami said with a smile. “It’s cool of you to keep these precious artifacts so that it stays with someone who knows its origins.” 

“I’d love to set up a display shop one of these days. I’m going to have to if I keep hoarding so many things.”

They approached the closed door that led to Korra’s old room and Senna opened it for them. Asami walked in first followed by Korra, who took her time. 

“Wow,” Asami said first as she entered, her new favorite word at the moment. “I always wondered what your room looked like. I wasn’t expecting this.”

“You’ll have to keep guessing,” Korra said. She stared at the blue-grey walls, the fine periwinkle sheets tucked into each corner of the bed, the low sun coming through the sheer white curtains. All of it so unfamiliar. 

“I told Korra that this room was going to look a lot different when she came,” Senna spoke in a softer tone. And it was true. She precisely described the room as it appeared now to mentally prepare Korra. Although, it didn’t wipe away Korra’s uncanniness as her eyes scanned her former sanctuary. 

“I didn’t throw anything out,” Senna added. “Most of your stuff is still in the closet, but there wasn’t enough room. I had to pack away and store some things in the basement. I didn’t know when or if… you know.”

“I understand,” said Korra after another thoughtful minute. “There’s probably a lot of things I’d throw out today, so I can’t imagine having to leave that all in this room just to collect dust.”

“You’re welcome to have a look through the closet and see if there’s anything you’d like to take back with you.”

“Sure.”

“Okay… Well, I’ll let you two settle in for a bit. I’ll be down in the kitchen if you need anything.”

Senna gave them one last smile before walking out of the room. 

“So?” Asami asked as she sat down on the bed. “What are your first impressions?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?” Korra said, walking around the room. She noticed her old vanity now had a stained finish to it. Probably for the best due to the old sharpie drawings, dumb words, and stickers Korra covered it with.

“I’ve pretty much spoken my thoughts out loud. It’s a gorgeous house,” Asami said. “I am a little sad I don’t get to see what your bedroom looked like.”

“What were your expectations?” Korra asked. 

“Hmm. Blackout curtains for sure, and a cool lava lamp that illuminates the room in red and yellow. Then a bunch of rock band posters covering the walls and those retro spiky bracelets. Probably lots of black eyeliner and nail polish scattered all over the place.” 

“What you’re describing would be my cousins’ rooms. I wasn’t _that_ emo.” 

“So, not one single Paramore poster?” 

“That’s different. Paramore is iconic to any music listener in the world _ever_.” 

“I don’t suppose I’ll find a Céline Dion poster stashed somewhere too then, huh?”

“Keep dreaming.” Korra walked back over to the door and trailed her fingers along the wall. “I wanted to collect records and hang them up, but my mom said that it would be a waste of money. And then when I asked for a record player, Tonraq told me I couldn’t be trusted to take care of such a delicate system.”

“You deep clean every single pair of shoes you own twice a week. I can imagine you obsessing over keeping a record player clean.”

Korra chuckled and went to the bed. She was a few steps away when she stopped in her tracks.

“You okay?” Asami asked.

“Yeah… just…” Korra looked down at the creaky floorboard under her foot. “Nothing. Legs are recovering from all that sitting.”

“I’ll say. I still can’t believe your mom is making an outright feast for us tonight,” Asami said.

“Trust me, this will be tame compared to the nisus she puts into Quviasukvik.” 

“Quvia-who?”

“It’s a two-week-long festival in celebration of the New Year—a special time in Inuit culture and other groups of Indigenous peoples. My mom took it so seriously and we always had to dress up in traditional clothing to respect our sea goddess Sedna. ‘She brings great miracles and luck this time of year,’ my mom always said,” Korra mocked Senna’s tone of wisdom. 

“She wasn’t wrong,” Asami said, smiling at Korra with a knowing expression. 

“Don’t even get her started. She never let me hear the end of it when I was a kid. Anytime I complained or said I didn’t want to take part, she would remind me of the blessing my birth was from the great spirits above.”

“I’m willing to believe it’s not that far out of the realm of deviation.” Asami stifled back a yawn. 

Korra took the final steps toward the bed and put her knee between Asami’s, forcing them apart, and then stepping between the open space. She put her palm against Asami’s neck. “You’re tired.”

“A little. I should be able to make it until after dinner.” 

“Why don’t you rest now? It’s not like Tonraq will be here any time soon.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Asami grabbed Korra’s hand and looked up at her with worried eyes.

Korra shook her head. “No, I’m good. Seriously. Now, let me unpack for us and then leave you alone for a little while.”

“But what if I miss something?” 

“Like what?” 

“I don’t know, like Senna reminiscing about you missing your first tooth, or your first day of kindergarten, or saying something to make you laugh. Those are very important moments for me.” 

“I doubt we’ll be trailing down memory lane this soon into the trip. Besides, there are plenty more hours and days for you to witness things like that. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.” Korra kissed the top of Asami’s head. “Get some sleep. I promise I won’t do anything fun or laugh without you.” 

“It’s okay to laugh,” Asami said. “I want you to have some alone time with your mom. That way you have the choice to keep some of those moments to yourself if that’s what you want.” 

“I’ll share as many of them with you as I can,” Korra promised her. They met their destination, but the journey was far from over. 

* * *

It didn’t take long for Asami to get comfortable on the bed. She fell asleep in the 20 minutes it took for Korra to put their clothes and personal items away. Afterward, Korra brought in a blanket and covered Asami with it since she fell asleep on top of the comforter. Once she saw her girlfriend was comfortable, she exited the room and shut the door behind her. Walking down the hallway, she took her time looking around and examining a few of the newer art pieces Senna collected. If only she realized in the past how much she would come to like art. This could've been something she and her mother bonded over.

It took more time for her to get used to the renovations. She realized it wasn’t the house looking so different from how she remembered it that unsettled her. It was that she’d been away for so long to the point where everything looked so unrecognizable. 

Korra approached her parents’ bedroom and peered inside. Like every other inch of the house, Senna's inspiration covered it. Everything was bright and revealing—nothing out of place. 

Korra headed downstairs into the great room and walked over to the fireplace and entertainment center. There were a couple of plaques placed on the wall, and she got closer to get a better look. There were 10 of them all lined up in order, her father’s name in big bold letters across them, and his title of “Outstanding Chief of the Year.” 

Korra remembered the first year Tonraq received it after three years of being chief. He worked so tirelessly to the point where Korra and Senna would go days without seeing him. But by that point, Korra was already tired of it. She didn’t care about the awards he received or the way her classmates and teachers would rave about him and all the “good” he was doing for the city. Because spreading so much of that supposed “good” only meant that whatever burden or weight Tonraq carried would be the first thing to greet Korra whenever he came home. 

Korra walked along the wall and glanced over more of the decor and some framed photos—a few of which she recognized. Some were old pictures of her parents looking no older than Korra was now, and then there were a few from recent years. The photos that stuck out to Korra the most were the ones that featured her. She didn’t like taking photos, but Senna would always insist on getting a family photo every year. The last one they ever took together was when Korra was 14 and they went on a vacation in the winter at a ski resort. Korra picked up the frame from its perched spot and stared at it longingly. 

It featured all three of them bundled up in ski gear. Korra stood between her parents with her arms folded. Her hair fell out of its ponytail due to the wind that tackled it during her several runs down the intermediate slopes. She sported a wide grin that matched her parents, who both looked winded yet exulted. One of Tonraq’s large arms wrapped around Korra’s neck in an affectionate embrace. Meanwhile Senna laughed at the both of them.

That day was a good day. They didn’t have a lot of those once Korra hit the teenager phase, making those few and far between moments that weren’t photographed harder to remember. 

She backed away from the photo and headed into the kitchen. Senna was at the stove humming to herself as she stirred the stew. When she noticed Korra, she looked over with a pleasant smile. 

“All settled?” she asked. 

“Yeah. Asami’s taking a nap.” 

“She must be exhausted after driving all day. Why didn’t you guys want to fly?”

“Asami likes driving whenever she can, which doesn’t come very often in a city like New York.”

“That seems very on-brand for the CEO of a car manufacturing company.”

Korra nodded in agreement and watched Senna add some onions to the pot. “Do you need help with anything?” she asked.

“Sure. I was just going to get started on the crostata for Asami. The ingredients are over on the table for cutting. You remember how to make it, right?” 

“I do.” Korra rolled up her sleeves and pushed her hair back behind her shoulders, then she went over to the sink to wash her hands.

“Asami’s always sending me pictures of the dinners and lunches you prepare for her,” Senna mentioned. “You’ve gotten really good.” 

“I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with you, so I may have picked up one or two things. Asami said she can imagine me owning a restaurant one day.” 

“That sounds lovely.” Senna’s eyes brightened. “Have you considered it?” 

Korra shrugged. “I like cooking, but I don’t know if I’m serious about it enough to consider it as a full-time career.” 

Senna nodded and looked down at the soup as she added in some spices. “How’s everything going with you?”

“Fine.”

“Just fine?”

“Huh? Oh, no. I mean it’s going great. It’s just that this week’s been crazy and all with trying to get my shifts covered at work and everything.”

“I’m guessing those nice people who took over your shifts weren’t doing it out of the kindness of their hearts?”

“Heh, no. I’ll be working double shifts for a week once I get back.”

“Is Kuvira one of those people covering for you?”

“What?” Korra asked in confusion.

“That friend of yours. She still works with you at the gym, right?” Senna asked, going over to the sink to wash off a wooden spoon. 

“Oh… yeah. That’s right. She was one of the more willing ones.” 

Korra went quiet as she started cutting up the ripe tomatoes. Things felt so normal between them that, for a moment, she hadn’t realized she still had her foot tangled in a web of lies and withheld information. There were small things she wished she could come clean about, but then that would lead to bigger conversations that would’ve kept the vicious cycle going. So as much as she hated lying to her mother, Korra knew it was a necessary evil.

“When did you say Ton— _Dad_ will be home?” she asked. 

“I texted him a few minutes ago. He said he’ll be home in a little over an hour. That’ll give us enough time to get the food ready at least.” 

“I guess.”

“I’m so sorry again,” Senna apologized. “I know you expected to be greeted by the both of us.” 

“No, it’s fine. It’s probably better this way. I don’t know if I could’ve been able to process the new and improved house along with seeing him again at the same time. It gives me a little more time to adjust.”

“So you’re still okay then? No regrets yet?”

“I’m good,” Korra said. She continued to chop and got into a rhythm until another thought came to her. “How much does he know about me?” 

Senna paused and looked at her. “I... honestly haven’t told him much.”

Korra looked over at her in surprise. “Really? Didn’t you say that the reason why he wanted this to happen was because you’ve been talking about me a lot?” 

“Well, yeah. I’ve told him about our conversations. He knows you’re a personal trainer and that you moved recently.”

“Did you tell him I moved in recently with a girl who’s more than a friend?”

“Yes,” Senna drawled. She wiped her hands with a towel and turned, leaning her back against the counter and folding her arms. “He knows who Asami is and what she means to you.” 

“Okay, sorry. You just never mentioned if you told him or not… or how he responded.”

“Well, you know your father. He’s never been the one to be outward with his expressions or feelings, but he said he’s looking forward to meeting her.”

“Mm.” Korra went back to cutting the tomatoes. Why it mattered what he thought, or why she even cared, stumped her. She guessed she could’ve expected a worse reaction from him, but it didn’t come as a surprise to hear her mother’s interpretation. Maybe that was the issue—that Korra’s expectations would either just barely be met or not at all. She wondered if Tonraq felt the same about her. 

“So, is that all you’ve told him about? My new job, my new apartment, and my girlfriend?” 

“I wanted to give you guys things to talk about. And if I’m being honest, I still feel like there’s a lot about you I don’t even know.”

“What makes you say that?” Korra asked, keeping her hands steady as she poured the cut tomatoes into a bowl. After that she started cutting up a couple of leeks.

“I don’t know. Call it a mother’s intuition? Or because the last time we were together we didn’t get to spend much time alone like this.” 

Korra didn’t respond right away. She didn’t know what kind of response to give. Senna was always observant, but Korra forgot that detail. When they talked over the phone every week, it was always pleasant. Korra never thought anything she said would’ve made Senna ponder more about her life. Either she let her guard down too much, or she still had it way too high.

“I’m not all that interesting,” Korra said a few seconds later. 

“Korra?” Senna asked. The nervousness in her tone made Korra pause in her chopping and turn around. 

“Yeah?”

“I know that your father asking you to come was a surprise. And I know this was a hard decision for you to make. None of that has gone unrecognized by me."

“Oh,” Korra said, caught off guard by her mother’s ardency. “Thanks…”

Senna nodded and looked down. She hesitated before speaking again.

“I haven’t told you this, but your father and I go to counseling every week. We’ve been going for about 7 years now.”

“Really?” Korra’s eyes widened and she put the knife down. “Are you guys okay?”

“Oh yes, we’re fine.” Senna waved her hand. “It’s just something we’ve grown into the habit of doing, and our counselor’s great. The reason I’m bringing this up is because I told him you were visiting, and he said you’re welcome to come into our session on Monday if you want.” 

“Oh…” Korra grew so anxious that she couldn’t form a proper thought or words for that matter. 

“I don’t know, Mom. Th-that’s…”

“It’s okay if you say no. I knew it was a long shot.”

“No, it’s not like that. It’s... I’ve never been the type of person to consider counseling an option? I wouldn’t be the best talker in that kind of situation.”

“Our counselor is really good about that. Your father was the same way, but he’s gotten more comfortable over the years.” 

_Years_ was the keyword there. Korra didn’t see herself being comfortable enough to open up about her pent-up emotions and anger in front of some stranger, let alone on her first visit. She was also still wrapping her mind around the thought of her parents going to counseling. 

“Can I ask what made you guys go in the first place?” she asked.

Senna’s hands dropped to her sides and she fiddled with her skirt. 

“We’d been having a lot of disagreements at the time, and it got worse after he came clean about not following up with you as much as I wanted him to.” 

“So, it’s my fault.”

“No,” Senna said quickly and stepped forward. “It’s a lot more complex than that. We both needed it, and the point is that it worked. We’re now more open and honest with each other, and things couldn’t be better between us. The only thing we’ve needed is you back in our lives again.” 

Korra couldn’t meet her mother’s eyes for some reason. She knew Senna wouldn’t lie to her after everything, but she also knew now that everything wasn't fine between her parents back then. Between Korra's estrangement and that, their family reached the brink of deterioration.

“Listen,” Senna said when Korra didn’t speak. “I’m not going to ask you for anything because that would be pushing my luck. I just wanted you to know that if you need help sorting out your feelings, or if you think that would be a good environment, that it’s there for you to use at your full discretion. And we would never hold anything you feel about us against you. I mean that.”

Korra lowered her head and breathed out a sigh. It eased her mind to hear the lax and understanding in Senna’s tone. It also served as a reminder of what Korra told herself she would do for the past couple of days, which was to keep an open mind.

“Just let me think about it for a few days. I’ll let you know,” she said, raising her eyes to meet Senna’s.

Senna responded with a warm smile and walked over. She put her hand on Korra’s shoulder. 

“Thank you,” she said. 

Korra nodded. She would give it a lot of thought, but she could only focus on one big moment at a time. Right now, all she could think about were those first few steps Tonraq would take as he entered the front door and saw her again. 

**TBC…**


	3. Homecoming (2)

Korra and Senna finished cooking an hour later, then they spent the last 30 minutes setting the table. Once they finished, they went into the great room and sat on the couch to talk for a while. When Asami came downstairs, she made a big yawn and then propped herself down beside Korra on the couch. 

“Enjoy your nap?” Senna asked her. 

“Yes, it was good. Though I could’ve easily slept into the next day,” Asami admitted.

“Isn’t it so convenient that you managed to wake up only after we finished cooking and setting the table?” Korra asked, giving her girlfriend a playful glare as she drank from a cup of water. Under her breath, she uttered the word “princess,” garnering a pinch in her side from Asami. 

“Hey! I’d say that was a pretty well-deserved nap after all the driving I did today. Besides, now the bed is broken in…” Asami trailed off and then cringed at her word usage. “I mean… not because we’d be doing anything worth breaking in the bed for… except sleeping every night…” 

“This feels like I’m watching a semi-truck speeding headfirst into a brick building and bursting into flames. So fascinating yet so painful,” Korra commented. She laughed when Asami hit her repeatedly with a pillow. “Okay, okay, I didn’t mean it!” 

Asami eased up, and in the background, Korra could hear Senna’s soft laughter. 

“You two are so much fun together,” she complimented. 

“Yeah, except for the days when she drives me crazy.” Asami nudged herself into Korra’s side, then she looked over at the dining room. “It smells delicious in there.” 

“Korra and I make a fantastic cooking duo. You weren’t lying about her skills.” 

“She keeps me fed. I’d be living off of cereal and popcorn if it weren’t for her—” 

“The latter only if she doesn’t burn it,” Korra added and chuckled again when Asami pouted. “Then there are the days when she’s running around so much that I have to remind her to eat.”

“Well, in that case, I’m really glad she has you around then,” Senna said. 

The sound of the door unlocking and opening made everyone pause. In a matter of seconds, Korra’s heart sped up at an alarming rate. Unlike Asami and Senna, she couldn’t bring herself to turn toward the door, which left her rigid and taut. 

“There you are, sweetheart,” Senna said and got up from the couch first. 

“Sorry, I know I’m a little late.” Tonraq’s gruff voice carried through the house. His first words being an apology gave Korra more pause. It was only until Asami touched her knee and whispered her name that snapped back into it.

Grabbing Asami’s hand, she stood up from the couch. When she turned, she caught her parents embracing by the door, Senna’s petite frame wrapped in large, muscular arms. Tonraq stood tall at around 6’5, his overarching body complimenting his stiff demeanor. He wore his chief jacket over his civilian attire—a black shirt and a pair of dark jeans. It surprised Korra to not see him in full uniform since it always seemed like his true badge of honor. 

Her breathing became so heavy as her chest tightened. She wondered if she was having a panic attack like the ones that she would have to calm Asami down from. The feeling lasted right up until the moment her parents pulled apart and Tonraq turned in Korra’s direction. Piercing blue eyes met her own. 

Korra attempted to open her mouth and say something, but her teeth remained clenched. She waited there, her palm now sweating in Asami’s, but she couldn’t let go. She wondered if Asami could feel her racing pulse. 

Tonraq took a calculated step forward as if one wrong movement would set off a landmine. 

“Korra,” he breathed out. His tone was direct as normal, but there may have been a layer of softness behind it as well—timid almost. 

Korra took another moment. She hadn’t realized hearing her father say her name would have an instant effect on her. Anger, hurt, fear, shame and remorse burned fast like thick wick candles inside of her. She swallowed and opened her mouth. 

“Hey…” she got caught on her words, stuck on whether to go with “dad” or not. The word ended up hanging there, floating through the room and engulfing them in awkward silence. 

Tonraq stared, looking as out of his realm as Korra. Although in a dissimilar fashion from Korra, he was able to move. 

“Wow. Look at you,” he said as he walked further into the house. He stopped a few feet away and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “You look well.”

“I am,” Korra said, finding her voice. “So do you.”

“I’ve got a couple of grays now, but yeah,” Tonraq said with a light chuckle and ran his hand over his sleek hair pushed back in a ponytail. He indeed had streaks of silver running throughout, but it blended in well with the chestnut. 

“Yeah…” Korra responded, attempting a laugh of her own but falling short. The thought came to her then of whether they should embrace or not. But before she could reach a decision too, much time passed and Tonraq already turned to Asami. He glanced down at their interlocked hands. 

“You must be Miss Sato,” he said and pulled one of his hands out of his pockets to extend toward her. 

To shake his hand, Asami had to let go of Korra’s. “Asami is fine. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” 

“It’s nice to finally put a face to the name of the one person who can actually get my wife to text back.” 

“Don’t start telling lies,” Senna said, walking up and hitting him on the shoulder. 

Asami laughed. “It helps if you just spam her with a bunch of random animal facts all at once. She’ll have to respond to at least one thing at some point,” she said. 

Senna barked out a hearty laugh, and Tonraq actually smiled—a sight Korra couldn’t remember the last time she saw... And now that she thought about it, she couldn’t remember the last time he directed one at her. Her stomach filled with so much apprehension that it made her nauseous. 

“It smells good in here,” Tonraq complimented. 

“I almost thought I wouldn’t be able to get it all done in time,” Senna said. “It’s a good thing Korra was here to help me.”

“Oh?” Tonraq looked Korra’s way for the second time. “That was nice of you,” he said. Korra hoped she wasn’t imagining the cordiality in his tone. 

“It was mainly Asami’s meal I helped with,” Korra said, looking down. 

“She was amazing,” Senna boasted. “You should’ve seen her, a total natural in the kitchen.” 

“That’s awesome,” Tonraq said. It grew quiet, which was a nightmare in Korra’s world. 

“Shall we all sit down and eat then?” Senna prompted. 

Everyone nodded in agreement and walked over to the dining room. The next few minutes consisted of compliments on the food, handing over plates, and Senna asking everyone what beverages they wanted. Korra and Asami opted for soda, Senna made herself some tea, and Tonraq opted for a craft beer. 

“How was your day, hon?” Senna asked Tonraq once they were all settled. Korra and Asami sat across from them.

“Nothing out of the usual,” answered Tonraq in a distracted manner as he buttered his roll. “Still getting the new trainees up to speed with protocol.”

“This is your father’s favorite time of the year if you can remember,” Senna said to Korra in jest. Tonraq always made it known how much he hated training recruits. He hated it since the beginning of his career as chief. 

“Right, I remember,” Korra said, phoning a smile. 

Asami cleared her throat. “So, um, Mr. Tonraq… sir—” 

“Tonraq is fine.” Tonraq gave her a respectful nod. 

“Okay.” Asami smiled at the invitation. “How long have you been on the force?” 

“Oh goodness,” Tonraq said and looked up in thought. “My rookie years started when I was about 23. So about 32 years now. 

“That’s a long time,” Asami said. “You must enjoy it.” 

“There’s never a dull moment,” Tonraq answered. 

Korra stuck her spoon inside her stew, her jaw still too clenched to open her mouth and eat. She always hated these talks at the dinner table where it seemed like all the conversation centered around was her father’s career of putting people behind bars. It hit a lot different now when, over the years, Korra became one of those people he and the others like him wouldn’t hesitate to throw the book at. Her mother learning the truth was one thing, but she didn’t want to think about her father’s reaction. 

“That’s a nice car out there,” Tonraq said, changing the subject. “I’ve heard of a Satomobile, but I’ve never seen one in person.” 

“They’re more popular overseas, Japan mostly,” Asami explained. 

“They must be good on gas too if you guys decided to drive all the way here, or was it because of the beautiful scenery?” 

Korra thought Asami would’ve answered, so she didn’t look up right away. But when a longer silence passed, she turned her face and noticed that Asami was waiting for her to respond. Korra forced her mouth open and the spoon into it. It bought her some time to think about her answer and to calm her heart, which hadn’t stopped thumping since her father came home.

“I wasn’t the one who had to drive, so it was relaxing for me,” she answered. “The scenery was how I remembered it.” 

“How often have you driven up to Canada?” Tonraq asked while forking the steak on his plate. 

Korra watched him closely. “Only once… away from here.” 

Clinking dishes reechoed in eardrums after Korra’s blunt statement. For once, she didn’t blame herself for the gauche moment when it was her father’s obliviousness that set it up. 

“Um, I like long drives,” Asami spoke. “A lot, actually. Korra and I have even thought about traveling around the country in an RV or something in the future.”

“That brings back memories,” Senna said with a laugh. She recovered faster from that blunder than Korra and Tonraq did. “Tonraq and I traveled up and down the Canada side in our late teens and early 20s.”

“Whoa, really?” Asami’s eyes brightened. 

Senna chuckled. “It was a different time back then. Wasn’t it, honey?” 

“It was, yes,” Tonraq agreed, though he sounded distracted now. 

“We worked odd jobs for what felt like forever and fixed up this old van that we lived out of after moving away from Nunavut. It was every 70s kid’s dream.”

“That’s so cool. We were hoping to be able to travel a lot in our thirties,” Asami said. 

“You guys seem to enjoy making plans,” Senna assessed.

“It’s mostly me doing the planning. Korra’s always been the kind of person to go with the flow.” 

“How long have you guys known each other exactly?” Tonraq cut in, gaining all the women’s attention. 

“Oh, um, since high school,” Asami answered, looking caught off guard at first.

“I told you that, didn’t I, honey?” Senna asked. 

“No, I don’t think you did...” Tonraq’s eyes remained on Asami for a second longer, perplexed. “And you’re the CEO of…” 

“Future Industries,” Senna said when she noticed her husband struggling. 

“Yes, I am,” Asami gave a firm nod. 

“You’re so young,” Tonraq said, stricken until he remembered himself and added, “no offense.” 

“None taken. I hear that a lot.” 

“You must work really hard to be where you are right now.” 

“It wasn’t easy in the slightest, but I guess in a lucky and not so lucky way, I had a cushion that helped me out.” 

“Right. Senna did tell me about that situation with your father.” 

Asami swallowed and looked down at her food. “Y-yes…” she stammered for the first time. 

Seeing the subtle flash of surprise and regret in Asami’s eyes—and knowing the pool of dread festering in the pit of her stomach at the thought of talking about her father—prompted Korra to reach for her girlfriend’s hand. 

When Asami didn’t add anything further, Tonraq seemed to get the message. 

“I apologize if I hit on a sore subject.” 

Asami shook her head. “No, it’s okay.” But it was clear that she’d rather not have this conversation at the table. It wasn’t the lightest one to have, and Korra thought back to what they discussed earlier about Asami wanting to make a good impression. What she hadn’t realized, however, was that an impression was already made. 

“So, Korra, your mother tells me you’re working full-time at a gym?” Tonraq asked. 

Korra’s head turned in his direction again. Hearing the question almost made her lie. It was impossible to follow up after a CEO of a million-dollar company that came closer to being in the billions at this point.

“It’s part-time actually… sort of,” she said. Tonraq offered a nod as he drank, the cubes of ice clinking in the glass as he finished the beer off. Korra noticed that it took him a lot longer to respond, unlike with Asami. “I’m hoping they bump me up to full-time soon,” she blurted out. “I just started there a few months back after all…” 

“What were you doing before that?” Tonraq questioned. 

“I worked at another gym,” she lied. 

“Makes sense.” He glanced down and stared at something. When Korra looked down, she noticed that her tattoos were on full display while holding Asami’s hand. She let go and put her arm under the table again. 

“She lives at the gym,” Asami said. “I have no doubt she’ll be a full-time employee within the next month or so. She’s already reached the max number of clients a part-time trainer can have. How many did you say that was again?” She looked over at Korra. 

“15,” Korra said, shy and embarrassed by her girlfriend’s praise. 

“Oh, honey, that’s so great!” Senna said. “You didn’t tell me that.”

Korra shrugged. “It slipped my mind, I guess.” 

“Well, I’m proud of you. I’m sure a lot of those people are feeling good about themselves, and part of that reason is because of you.” 

“Thanks,” Korra said, giving a closed-mouth smile. With a swallow, she looked right across the table at Tonraq. Her father’s eyes remained on his plate. Although he wore a smile, something about it made a knot form in Korra’s stomach. She lowered her head. A million things came to mind, and she wished she could just have a moment to freeze everything around her and process it all. 

Her father must’ve had the same idea. He chose to distance himself for a moment while Senna and Asami chatted. Grabbing his empty bottle and glass, he got up and walked over to the kitchen.

“So, I was thinking,” Senna started. “Would you guys be up for going downtown with me tomorrow? I figured we could go shopping, maybe for a movie, and dinner after?” 

“I would love that,” Asami said. “I haven’t been around the Beauport area before, but it seems close to everything.” 

“What about you, Korra?” Senna asked. 

“That sounds…” Korra paused when she watched Tonraq walk back in a second later, his glass full again, “…good.”

Senna turned to Tonraq when he sat back down. “Think you’ll be able to entertain us women and our shopping adventures for at least a few hours tomorrow?” 

“I can’t promise anything, but I'll try,” Tonraq said, nodding at them all and focusing on Korra last. 

“Great, we’ll plan on it then,” Senna said. 

Korra resumed eating, although she wasn’t hungry at all anymore. It merely served as a thing to do as she considered what the next steps were. When _was_ the proper time to have that loaded conversation they needed to have before they could attempt to repair all the damage done? 

Tonraq’s phone started ringing. He pulled it out and stared at the screen for a second, then a ‘tching’ noise left his mouth. 

“Sorry, I need to get this. It’s a councillor,” he said distractedly and got up from the table again. 

Korra watched his retreating back as he walked to the kitchen, familiar with the sight of it. She didn’t have enough hands to count how many times her father got pulled away from the dinner table, but she had enough to count the number of times he stayed. 

“Korra?”

“Hm?” Korra looked over at her mother. She found Senna and Asami’s eyes on her. 

“Do you have a preference for a movie?” Senna asked. 

“Oh… No, I’m fine with anything,” Korra said. Trying to shake off her current disappointment, she listened to Asami and Senna talk at length about the movies they were anticipating this fall. But every so often, her eyes would dart to the kitchen. 

She had to tell herself not to read too much into it, as well as to give Tonraq some time. After learning from the situation with Senna a few months back, she knew the importance of patience and not jumping to conclusions so fast. That only led to catastrophe. So, for now, she’d have to sit still and let everything play itself out. 

Minutes later, Tonraq returned to the room. 

“Everything okay, honey?” Senna asked. 

“Yeah, but you guys may want to head out without me tomorrow. I have to head into the office and put together my monthly report and budget for the next meeting on Monday.” 

Korra didn’t look up and kept eating. 

“I was hoping we could all spend some time together,” Senna said in disappointment. “How long do you think it’ll take?” 

“A couple of hours. I’ll head out by 8. Maybe I can catch you guys in the afternoon for the movie?” 

“Yeah, we can do that,” Senna said and then looked at Korra. “Is that okay with you?” 

Korra looked at Senna first, then over at Tonraq. 

“Sounds perfect,” she said, and her eyes slid back down to her plate. 

The conversation turned lighter after that. And Korra did her best to take part, but she soon felt fatigued. Aside from the nap in the car and her 90-minute massage, she hadn’t gotten much sleep in the past 24 hours. 

When they finished dinner, everyone chipped in with getting the dining room and kitchen cleaned up. It hit 9 o’clock when they finished. 

“I don’t suppose you guys are up for some Netflix?” Senna asked. “I know that probably doesn’t sound as fun as you guys were expecting to have for your first night here, but…” 

“We've had enough fun today, so I’m game,” Asami said and turned her head in Korra’s direction. “You?” 

“Sure,” Korra replied.

“I think I’ll tune in a little early tonight,” Tonraq announced. He walked over to Senna and kissed her on the forehead. 

“Are you sure?” Senna asked him. 

“Yes, it’s been a long day. If I get to bed now, I could wake up earlier and leave by 6. That way I can clear my entire afternoon. He looked over at Korra. “That okay with you, kiddo?” 

Korra paused, surprised that her father was asking for her opinion, as well as hearing him call her anything other than her name. And now that she was thinking about it, when was the last time he called her that? She glanced over at Senna and Asami and they were both smiling. “That’s fine.” 

Tonraq nodded, a corner of his mouth pinching up in what could be perceived as a smile, then he turned in Asami’s direction. “Again, it was nice to meet you finally. I’m looking forward to getting to learn more about you.” 

“You too,” Asami said, shaking Tonraq hand. “Have a good night’s sleep, sir—er—Tonraq.” 

Tonraq said goodnight and left the room, and Korra watched him go. For the first time in weeks, she allowed herself to feel a flicker of hope. 

* * *

After spending some time downstairs watching a few episodes of _How to Get Away with Murder_ (Senna’s current obsession), they all decided to retire for the night. 

Asami finished washing her face and brushing her teeth in the bathroom. Once done, she turned the light out and walked down the hall to Korra’s old room. 

Even though they’d been there for a few hours now, it still felt so odd to be in Korra’s childhood home for the first time. When they were younger and she asked Korra about her life in Quebec, Korra never offered up much information and always spoke with disdain visible in her tone. It was understandable, which was why Asami learned to let go of asking Korra about it. But she never stopped being curious. 

So far, she didn’t have a reason to sound the alarm. Tonraq, for the most part, seemed invested in every conversation and getting to know Asami, which thrilled her of course. Like Korra, she had no idea how he would react to their relationship or Korra being with a woman. Although she had high hopes that since he was married to Senna, he would mirror her sentiments. 

As she approached the bedroom, she heard soft laughter coming from inside it and stopped. 

“I can’t believe you don’t remember how to braid. I gave you so many dolls to practice on,” Senna said. 

Asami heard Korra snort. “You and I both know how fast I grew out of that stage.”

“Maybe I can teach you again while you’re here.” 

“Yeah… maybe.” 

Asami smiled and leaned her head against the door frame, not quite ready to reveal herself yet. It was nice to hear Korra being so much more like herself now compared to when Tonraq came home. Asami could tell through Korra’s silence the level of anxiety she reached being in front of her father again. Her walls shot up around her from every angle. When in the company of others normally, Korra tended to be on the quiet side and more reserved. This time around, Asami noticed a bit of shyness too. It sounded so ridiculous in her mind that she wanted to laugh. Korra was never shy with anyone, nor intimidated. But once Tonraq walked through those doors, something about her demeanor made Asami think of a child waiting for their parent to realize the mess they made upstairs. Asami wasn’t sure how to bring that up to Korra either. Knowing Korra though, she was hoping Asami hadn’t noticed at all. 

Another laugh broke out from Senna, disrupting Asami from her thoughts. The rich and vibrant sound spread joy and warmth in her chest. It reminded her so much of her mother’s. What she could remember of it anyway. 

Pulling away from the doorframe, she walked into the bedroom. Korra sat on the floor with her legs crossed while Senna sat behind her on the edge of the bed. Her long fingers worked with care as they twisted through Korra’s hair and plaited it back in two. 

“Having fun in here?” Asami asked. 

“I was coming in to give you guys some extra blankets since it gets a little drafty in this room at night. Then I found Korra in here struggling to figure out what to do to preserve this pretty hairstyle of hers,” Senna explained.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen your hair in braids before,” Asami said to Korra. She went and sat on the bed as well, watching Senna approach the end of the last braid. 

“Don’t get used to it,” Korra said. 

“She used to wear her hair like this a lot when she was around 7 or 8 years old. Always complained about it getting in her face. She told me she wanted to wear her hair in braids so she could look ‘just like mommy.’” Senna smiled with pride at her tale. Meanwhile, Korra lowered her face to hide her deep blush. 

“You all have very nice hair,” Asami commended.

Senna finished off the second braid and used a blue ribbon to tie it off, mismatching it with the white ribbon at the end of the other braid. 

“Perfect,” Senna said. After a moment of pause, she wrapped her arms around Korra’s neck and hugged her. Only a small look of surprise came across Korra’s face before she touched one of Senna’s arms in acceptance. 

“Thanks, Mom,” Korra said. 

Asami, finding herself getting emotional at the display, had to look away. 

“I’ll leave you girls to it,” Senna said and climbed off the bed. “Asami, remind me while we’re out tomorrow to show you that fabric store I’ve been telling you about.”

“Oh, right,” Asami said. Her eyes grew with excitement and happiness at Senna remembering such a frivolous thing they talked about once. 

“I’m looking forward to spending time with you both,” Senna said. As she walked by Asami, she touched her arm and gave it a rub. After saying goodnight, she walked out of the room and shut the door behind her. 

“What a day,” Asami said a few seconds later. 

“Tell me about it,” responded Korra. She got up from the bed and went to lock the door, then she walked over to the vanity mirror and grabbed her headscarf. She wrapped it around the crown of her head and let the ends of her braids stick out. When she finished, she kept quiet as she moved around the room and made sure things were in order. 

“You’ve been quiet tonight,” Asami said. 

“I know,” Korra said, which surprised Asami. She thought Korra would’ve tried to deny it. 

“Okay… Are you going to tell me what’s wrong on your own, or do I have to whip out the magic word?” Asami wriggled her wrist and the charms on her bracelet jingled.

“Nothing’s wrong… Not really, I think.” Korra walked back over to the bed. After sitting down, she didn’t say much else for a minute and instead played with the duvet. “I think I’ve been overwhelmed all day, so I’m physically drained.” 

“A lot has happened, so I get it,” Asami said, then on a tentative note added, “Your father seems like he’s trying.” Korra responded with a soft noise and looked away. “You think he isn’t?” 

“He is,” Korra agreed. “It’s just that even though he is, there’s some things I’ve noticed that haven’t changed.”

“The job stuff?” Asami guessed. She noticed how quiet Korra became whenever the subject came up at the table. 

“Yeah… mostly,” Korra said. “He never knows how to slow down, it seems. Always so willing to be at the beck and call of others even when…” She didn’t finish and instead continued to tug at the bedspread. 

Asami reached out and grabbed Korra’s hand. 

“You’re going to have a lot of these up and down feelings while we’re here. It’s a lot to work through trying not to judge him for everything he’s done in the past and discovering who he is now. Feel everything, process it, and then decide what you want to do next. You owe this to yourself, not him.”

Korra nodded and sighed inwardly. 

“Thank you.” 

“No problem. This is what I’m here for.” 

Korra squeezed her hand and let go to lay down. 

“I’ve never let myself imagine a day like this happening,” she said, but then she appeared to disagree with that statement. “Or maybe I have. I just never had any good or neutral outcomes in mind.”

“You didn’t do bad at all down there,” Asami said. 

“No, _you_ didn’t do bad. Never with anything. You’re always so charming to everyone you meet.”

“Pffft… That’s not true,” Asami said. When Korra didn’t respond and continued to stare at the ceiling, she sighed and crawled up the bed until she came right next to Korra. Laying on her side and propping her elbow up, she continued. “I was a nervous wreck when your dad walked through the door, but I could tell you were in much worse shape than I was. So, I sucked it up the best I could to try and make it better for the both of us.”

Korra finally turned her head and looked up at Asami. She looked disappointed in herself for not having that thought. “I wish I could have given you more support. Instead I shut down like I always do, thinking of myself once again.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself,” Asami said. “When we were in front of him, it was like you were doing everything you could to belittle all the achievements you’ve made.”

“I don’t know why,” Korra said and closed her eyes. 

“I have an idea.” Asami pushed herself up until her back pressed up against the bed frame, and then Korra moved over to put her head in Asami’s lap. Asami brushed her hand over the top of her girlfriend’s head. “You’re thinking too much about what he may or may not be thinking, and it’s making you disregard yourself. Any accomplishments you’ve made in the past year, no matter how small you think they are, are still accomplishments.”

“You’re right,” Korra said, then chuckled at herself. “You’d figure I wouldn’t care so much.”

“It’s good that you care. All you need to do is let go of wondering how he’s perceiving you at any given moment. That’s what will mess you up.”

Korra nodded but kept quiet. She was ratiocinating. 

“It’s hard,” she whispered. 

“I know it is,” Asami responded just as softly. “But I’ll be here to remind you of how amazing you are.” 

“I know you will. You’re the perfect hype woman,” Korra said, a smile in her voice now. 

“You make it so easy.” Asami bent down and placed an upside-down kiss on Korra’s lips. When she pulled away, she looked at Korra and then tilted her head. “On a lighter note, can I just say that the genes in your family are _really_ good? Your dad’s kind of—” 

“Finish that sentence and you’re sleeping downstairs on the couch.”

**TBC…**


	4. Hometown Glory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of the comments and support. I feel like I don't say it enough. But it truly means a lot. 💋
> 
> If there are spelling/grammar issues in this -insert "damn I kinda don't care" meme- It is what it is. Enjoy. I love this chapter and I wish I could've gotten art for it like I wanted to. 😣

Korra rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she walked down the hall the next morning. Despite Asami’s nap, she fell asleep pretty much as soon as her head hit the pillow last night. Unfortunately, Korra didn’t have that same luxury. She didn’t see the inside of her eyelids until a couple of hours ago, but it was still a restless sleep.

She was about to head into the bathroom, but at the same time, Tonraq came out of it.

“Oh,” she said, jumping back in surprise, and Tonraq looked just as stunned. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry. Sometimes I change in here so that I don’t disturb your mother,” Tonraq said. His eyes remained on her, but he didn’t say anything else.

“Is there something on my face?” Korra asked, feeling self-conscious under his gaze.

Tonraq shook his head and apologized again. “No, you… look a lot like your mother with that hairstyle.”

“Oh, uhh…Thanks.” Korra ran her hand over one of her braids.

“How’d you sleep?” Tonraq asked.

“Okay,” she answered with a shrug. “I’m still getting used to being in my old room, so it was harder for me to fall asleep.”

“Right… Makes sense.” Tonraq cleared his throat. “And Asami? She’s okay?”

“Yup, still asleep.”

“Good. I apologize again if I said anything last night that might’ve offended her.”

“Oh… don’t worry about it. She’s had a lot worse.” Korra tried not to sound affronted by her father’s display of remorse for someone other than her. At the same time, she was glad he asked about Asami at all.

“She seems like a fare woman — very driven.”

“Yeah, she is…” Korra looked up and saw her father nod. She decided to change the subject. “I thought you would’ve been gone already.” It was five minutes before 8 o’clock, but her father was always the kind of guy to be wide awake way before the sun caught up with him. A lot of the times he would be out of the house before Korra would be up to get ready for school.

“I’ve slowed down a lot more on the weekends at your mother’s request,” Tonraq said. “If I don’t have to, I try not to be in the office on Sundays at all.”

“That must’ve been a hard change for you.”

“It took a while to get used to, but I’ve grown to like it a lot more than I did in the beginning.”

“Yeah, but you still hate it a smidge, don’t you?” Korra asked, her tone teasing.

Tonraq chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll learn to appreciate it more as I get even older, I guess.”

Korra offered a half-smile and looked down, unsure of what to say next.

“You know—”

“I should head out,” Tonraq said at the same time she came up with something.

“Oh, yeah…”

“Were you going to say something?”

“No. It was nothing important.” She stepped aside, letting her father pass.

“All right.” Tonraq made his way by her.

“We’ll still see you later though, right?” she asked, and she flinched at herself for sounding so desperate.

Tonraq stopped and turned to her, regarding her for a second.

“Yeah… later,” he confirmed with a nod.

Korra stood there in the hall as she watched him walk out of sight. Her mouth opened and closed as she failed to say anything, not even a “have a good day.” With a sigh, she walked into the bathroom and chose to get her morning started instead.

* * *

After having a big breakfast prepared by Senna, they headed out into the city. Korra wasn’t as interested in shopping as she was fascinated by Asami and Senna’s ability to fit so much of it into a few hours. They’d been walking around in Les Promenades Gatineau mall, which had well over 100 stores inside. The minute they got there, Asami looked like she’d seen the gates of heaven burst wide open. She didn’t even have to hear Senna tell her to lead the way because her feet already started moving toward the nearest clothing store. So far, they visited 8 boutiques and were currently browsing around the fabric store Senna told Asami about. Korra stood by with two large bags in her hands, all courtesy of Asami and her recent purchases. Someone could’ve at least warned her that having a girlfriend meant she would reach peak butch territory.

“This one is so pretty,” Asami said, memorized by a silk, turquoise fabric with gold embellished throughout. “I’m visualizing a floor-length gown on a red carpet with a little 2000 J Lo Versace dress inspiration.”

“That green number? Yeah, that would be hot on you.”

“Or you.” Asami looked over at Korra with mischievous eyes and a sly grin.

Korra scoffed. “Please. Dresses aren’t my thing.”

“They should be. You’d look good in them. Like an Amazon.” Humming to herself, Asami put the silk in question back on the rack.

“You’re not going to get it?” Korra asked.

“I shouldn’t. It would just sit up in the closet like my old sewing machine.”

“Maybe not. It could be what you need to get started again. And you said you wanted to be in the fashion industry door by 30. That’s only four years from now.”

“Are you insinuating that I’m getting old?”

“Ha! If you’re old, then take me to the closest crypt,” Senna commented as she walked by.

“If you don’t buy this, then I’ll buy it for you,” Korra said. She grabbed the fabric and held it out for Asami to take back.

Her girlfriend sighed in defeat. “ _Fine._ But you have to carry the bag.”

Korra shrugged her shoulders with the bags already in her hands. “Story of my life.”

Asami smiled and walked off to the checkout area. When Korra turned around, she saw Senna over by an assortment of green textiles.

“I can get you something if you’d like,” she offered as she walked over.

“Oh no, I’m not much of a sewer. The most I’ve done is fix some tears.”

“A lot of those times for me probably,” Korra said. 

Senna laughed. “You kept me prepared at all times, that’s for certain. It seemed like every other day you were coming home from primary school with some crazy tale about how you managed to rip a hole in your jeans and sweaters. Your tears and your father’s coffee stains were the only things I ever knew.”

Korra smiled and looked around. “We should get going to the movie after this, huh?”

“Has that much time passed already?” Senna asked and looked down at her watch.

“Don’t worry, the mall will still be here once we get back. With how fast Asami moves, we’ll get through the rest of the store by 9 p.m. sharp.”

Senna smiled as she pulled out her phone. “I’m going to give your dad a call and let him know we’re on the way.”

“Sure thing.”

Senna patted Korra on the arm as she walked past her and headed out of the store while dialing Tonraq’s number. 

Korra walked down the aisleway and appreciated all the room she had compared to the other stores they visited. Her eyes glossed over the fabrics and she smiled to herself at the thought of Asami getting back into her old passion. She pictured a day where instead of coming home to misplaced paperwork on the floor there would be sketches of designs and cut up material draped over every surface.

Despite the running around they did, and Korra’s hatred for any shopping outside of online, she was enjoying the day. It mainly had to do with seeing Asami’s eyes light up and watching her and Senna bond. Asami even offered to pay for everything Senna purchased, and despite some resistance at first, Asami got her to relent, to Korra’s great surprise.

While Asami and Senna interacted every so often through text, Korra saw what a difference their in-person interactions made. They shared so many things in common, and even with the things they didn’t, they were always intrigued to hear more about the other’s interests. Korra was sure this was everything Asami hoped for in continuing to build that relationship with Senna, and it made Korra so proud to see.

After making her purchase, Asami walked over to Korra and they headed out of the store.

“Okay, so I’m done shopping for myself,” Asami decided. “Now I can shop for other people.”

“Other people?”

“Yeah, like you and the girls, or Opal, Bolin, and little Xia. Maybe Mako if we manage to not have another blowout in these next three months. I could get Christmas shopping done early, now that I think about it.”

“I don’t need anything, so you can cross me off the list.”

“Trust me, you need something. I already have plans on what to get you.”

“And what’s that?”

“You think I’d tell you?” Asami tutted.

Korra chuckled as they approached Senna, who’d been sitting down at a rest area and talking on the phone. As they got closer, Korra saw the frown on her mother’s face. Before they reached her, Senna hung up the phone and stood up.

“Are you guys ready to go?” she asked. There was a smile on her face now, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Is everything okay?” Korra asked.

“Yeah,” Senna said. She looked down at the phone and played with it. “But your father said he got pulled into something. He told me he didn’t know how long it would take and that we should go to the movie without him. He’ll be back home by tonight, though, he assured me.”

As Senna spoke, her expression turned guiltier by the second, as though she held any sort of blame for this. Korra also felt Asami’s eyes on her, trying to anticipate her reaction.

“Okay,” Korra said and gave a simple shrug. “Let’s get going to the movie then.”

She didn’t wait for either of them to respond and started toward the exit. No anger, surprise, or resentment entered her train of thought at all. When she was younger and more naïve, she would’ve felt those rash emotions. But not now. She learned after so many times of being let down to not have any expectations. That didn’t change no matter how much time passed. If Tonraq wanted that to change ( _if_ he even saw it as a problem), then he’d need to work a hell of a lot harder than he had so far to prove otherwise.

* * *

The movie they went to see wasn’t anything Asami heard of (surprisingly), but it was a good one, nonetheless. They walked out of the theater an hour and a half later. Before leaving, Korra said she needed to use the restroom and walked off. Asami and Senna waited together out in the hall.

“Is she being quieter more than usual?” Senna asked.

Asami, who’d been staring at the upcoming movie posters and making idle comments, looked over in surprise. Senna had an anxious expression on her face as she looked over toward the bathroom.

Frowning, Asami turned and glanced in that direction as well. “A little, yeah,” she answered after giving it a moment of thought. She noticed the way Korra brushed off the Tonraq situation with such calm dismissiveness, as if she didn’t care almost. When they had a moment alone together, Asami asked if she was okay, but Korra shrugged it off with a smile and left it at that. Asami tried to let it go and not push the subject, but she still felt some concern over what Korra’s true thoughts were at the moment. 

“I thought so,” Senna said and turned to Asami. 

“I think she was hoping that all of us would get to spend time together. You know, Tonraq included.”

“I know, I was, too,” Senna said, leaning away from the wall. “He did want to be here. But there are a lot of things about his job that make things that may seem simple so complicated.”

Asami nodded in response, albeit with a little bit of discomfort. She could understand to a certain extent where Senna was coming from, but she also knew full well the other side of the story. Being the daughter of an important public figure was no walk in the park. There were so many times she got tucked in at night by the nanny who explained very similarly to Senna her father’s duties and why he wasn’t there. Senna may not have ever realized how palliating those words were, hence why she said them even now. It made Asami empathize with Korra even more.

Senna’s phone rang from her small purse, followed by many buzzes from her pager. She reached inside and pulled out her phone, then she politely excused herself to answer it.

Asami walked over to the bathroom and waited for another two minutes, then Korra finally came out.

“It’s busy in there,” she commented in a somewhat annoyed manner, then she looked around. “Where’s my mom?”

“She had to take a call.” Asami pointed over in Senna’s direction.

Korra looked over and folded her arms. “Have you guys decided where we’re going after this?” she asked.

“Your mom was telling me about this nice coat store nearby.”

“Oh yeah? I think I know the one she’s talking about. It’s over by Mr. Akerolik’s jewelry store—the one who taught me how to make your bracelet.”

“Really?” Asami asked, feigning ignorance, but Korra gave her a suspicious look that made her heart race. How obvious did she look?

Senna came back in the nick of time, but her expression looked grim.

“You okay?” Asami was the first to ask.

“I got a call from my veterinary assistant. A cat I did surgery on isn’t taking to the new kidney I implanted. It was a complicated surgery and I’m not comfortable letting someone else open her back up again.”

“Oh no.” Asami put her hand to her chest. “Do you need to head straight there? We can go with you.”

“No, it’s 30 minutes away, plus I don’t know how long this could take. It would be best if I dropped you guys back off at the house.” Senna looked at Korra for the first time with sorrowful eyes. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

“It’s fine,” Korra said, again dismissively. “We should go then if you want to help before it’s too late.”

For the second time, Korra walked away first, and Asami and Senna sent glances to each other in concern. That was about as much of a reaction they could give since they were now in a time crunch. 

They left the theater and walked out to Senna’s car. Once they got in, Senna started the engine and pulled out of the lot. Unlike the previous car rides, this one was quiet and a tad bit uncomfortable. Korra sat in the passenger’s seat while Asami sat in the back. Whenever Senna did try to start up a conversation, she would get paged. Then she received a call from her assistant that she had to answer via bluetooth.

While sitting in the back, Asami’s eyes remained on Korra. There wasn’t any noticeable anger or disappointment on her face. Instead, she stared out the window with an unreadable expression that worried Asami more than an angered or disappointed one could.

They made it back to the house in 10 minutes, and Senna was the first inside. Rushing upstairs, she went to change and grab other equipment she might have needed. Asami and Korra were in the kitchen when Senna ran back downstairs a few minutes later donning a pair of blue scrubs. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, then she turned to Korra.

“Your father and I are going to make this up to you tonight, I swear.”

“It’s fine, Mom, really,” Korra said.

Senna remained unpleased and walked over to Korra. Placing her hand on Korra’s cheek, she tilted Korra’s head down to kiss her on the forehead.

“I swear,” she said again. Pulling away, she wore a resolute expression.

“Okay,” Korra said with a nod.

Senna turned to Asami and offered a smile. “I’ll see you both later.” With that, she turned and walked out of the kitchen, then left the house completely.

“She sounds like a very commendable veterinarian,” Asami commented.

“Yup,” Korra said. She went and pulled herself on top of the kitchen island. “Two very commendable parents. One protecting and serving human lives while the other is fighting for the lives of all the furry creatures. Quite the people they are.”

“I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or serious.”

Korra shrugged and kicked her feet against the counter. “Maybe both.”

Asami walked over. She put both hands on either side of the island near Korra’s hips and stared up at her in earnest.

“I’m sorry things haven’t worked out the way you wanted them to today,” Asami said.

“It’s fine. If anything, it feels like I’m in a memory. Important phone calls and emergency surgeries aren’t out of the realm in this family. Admittedly, whenever my mom got paged for something, she made me come with her to the clinic. I would sit around waiting, keeping the animals in recovery company. They were all alone...”

Korra’s voice became distant as she drifted into her thoughts. Asami brought her back by placing a hand on her cheek.

“You’re doing great so far despite the minor setback,” Asami said. “They’ll come back this evening, and things will pick up right where we left it. Okay?”

Korra grabbed her hand and smiled back. It looked genuine. “Okay.”

“In the meanwhile, we have some time to kill.”

“Did you have any ideas?” Korra asked. She cupped Asami’s face in her hands and leaned down to give her several rows of kisses on the lips.

Asami sighed, welcoming the warm feeling of Korra’s lips and tongue brushing and teasing against hers. At the same time, Korra wrapped her legs around Asami’s hips and brought their fronts together more. “Mmn. As much as I love you,” Asami said between kisses. “I’m not fucking you on your parents’ kitchen counter for revenge.”

Korra burst into laughter during their last kiss and pulled away. “My mind didn’t even go there, but now that you bring it up, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea.”

Asami smirked and slid her hands around Korra’s waist until her fingers interlocked. “Not happening, but I do have something else in mind that could be fun.”

“I’m listening.” Korra leaned down and pressed her lips against Asami’s neck.

“I was thinking that you could take me on a tour.” Asami giggled as Korra continued to show her affection. “We could visit some of your favorite spots from your childhood. Make a whole afternoon out of it, at least until your parents come home.”

Korra pulled back and looked down at her in surprise. “That would interest you?” she asked.

“Of course." Asami turned her head to the side and kissed Korra’s bicep. “You’ve never talked about the things you’d get up to while you were living here, or your favorite places for that matter.”

“That’s only because this isn’t exactly the place that I think of first when I want to take a stroll down memory lane,” Korra said.

“So think of the most significant memories. The ones that make you happy… or the person you are today. Whatever you want. Anything you want me to know about you that I still don’t know.”

Korra looked up as she contemplated Asami’s words.

“There are two or three places that come to mind,” she decided a minute later.

Asami smiled. “Let’s do it.” 

* * *

Korra kept the two locations she picked a secret and plugged the first one into the car’s GPS. They ended up down in Saint-Roch, located near the St. Charles River. Asami pulled into a parking lot of a strip mall with several stores ranging from a tattoo parlor to a pretzel shop.

Korra led them into one shop, which happened to be a record store. The place itself wasn’t as quaint as one would figure, but it didn’t always have its current appearance according to Korra. The area went through a major custom makeover and appeared more modern with paintings of legendary musicians everywhere. Clothes were sold there as well, along with posters and some cosmetics. The shop was like a classier version of Hot Topic, if Asami were being honest. But Korra loved it. She looked around in amazement as she walked through the store, commenting on the colorful art on the walls and the stage located in the back that held intimate concerts.

“I could imagine you working at a place like this in your teens,” Asami said.

“Only in my dreams. My parents would’ve never let me. The staff knew me quite well, though. One of them even let me see limited editions of the all-time classics whenever I came in.”

“And how often did you come in?”

“When I started learning how to take the bus in grade 7. I lied and told my parents I was staying after school doing extracurriculars, because no way would my dad have let me take the bus. They only caught on a few months before they sent me away.”

“Such a rebel,” Asami said.

“Holy shit… Korra, ma chum de fille. Is that you, eh?”

They both turned toward the feminine voice. A dark-haired woman stood from behind the counter, her arms spread out against it. She had several piercings in her ears, and one in her nose and left brow. Both of her arms had full sleeves of tattoos that were on full broadcast in her shirt that barely covered her stomach and chest area. Oh, and she was insanely hot.

“I didn’t think you would be here,” Korra said, walking up to the woman. Asami tried her best not to narrow her eyes.

“Wow. Look at you. It’s been so long, and you’re so grown up now,” the woman said, looking Korra up and down. It made Asami feel even more territorial, so she strolled up right beside her girlfriend.

“Are you the owner or something?” she asked, forcing the woman’s eyes off Korra.

“I am.”

“Seriously? Where’s your dad?” Korra asked.

“Retired. Now he’s traveling around with a band of his doing town shows. My mom’s calling it a very late mid-life crisis.”

“Heh. That sounds like Jack.” Korra looked at Asami and noticed her lost expression. “Asami, this is Mila. She’s that employee I was telling you about, if you can believe it.”

“Oh… the one who let you listen to all the records and stuff.” Asami forced a smile.

“So you’ve been talking about me then?” Mila gave a coy smile. “Did she tell you that she was an absolute pain in my side? Always coming in here listening to the music for free and never buying anything.”

“I was a kid. It’s not like I was walking around with a bunch of toonies.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Mila chuckled and then looked at Asami again. “So, who’s your friend?” she asked Korra.

“Girlfriend actually,” Korra said.

“No shit!” Mila’s eyes widened, then she smiled and folded her arms. “You know, I always had that vibe about you.”

“Yeah?” Korra’s brow lifted.

Mila nodded. "I remember you always coming in here when you came home for break or whatever and you’d listen to the most tortured sounding music. I asked you once if you were having boy problems down in New York and you shook your head with so much violence. But I could see it in your eyes… that kind of teenage blues had to be over _someone_. However, since I mind my own business, I never brought it up again.”

Asami looked over at Korra and noticed her trying to hide her embarrassment.

“Right,” she said after clearing her throat.

“Oh well, it’s that person’s loss. Besides, find a penny, pick it up, am I right?” Mila looked over at Asami and winked.

Asami smiled back. “Yeah… something like that.”

They carried on the conversation for a while longer, but then Mila got busy with other customers. When they walked away from the counter, Asami nudged Korra in the arm.

“‘Came for the music’ my ass,” she said.

Korra made a low sounding chuckle. “She’s about 8 years older than me.”

“I’ve dated guys older than that.”

“Thanks for reminding me.”

“So, you two never…”

“She was a cool person to talk to. I might’ve developed a little bit of a crush, but that was it. And it was only after I realized how much I liked women.”

“After me?”

Korra smiled and looked over at Asami, realizing what she was playing at. “Yes, after you. And now it’s only you.”

Asami made a noise in the back of her throat and turned her face forward. “Good. Because, as you said, she was much too old for you at that time.”

They walked through the store and Korra told more stories about the times she would spend there. Even one where she got chased home by a dog. Asami smiled, laughed, and shook her head in amusement at every single story. It was nice to hear Korra talk about warm childhood memories for once. She held a softness in her tone, even a bit of fondness that she rarely ever had when discussing her past. Asami wished Korra had more memories she could speak of in that manner.

Once they covered every inch of the store, Korra said she was ready to go. Rather than do what was typical of her in the past, she bought a few records despite not having a record player for them. Mila said goodbye to them both, telling Korra specifically to keep in touch. As if.

“So, what’s next on the list?” Asami asked once they got inside the car.

“You’ll see. But I thought you would’ve figured it out by now based on the clothes I told you to wear.”

“Let’s see—jeans, long sleeves, a scarf, and a coat… Isn’t it too early for skiing?”

“I guess you’ll have to wait and find out,” Korra said.

“Now look at who loves putting someone on the edge.”

“Edging you is what I live for.”

Asami snorted and started the car.

They resumed their drive around the city and Asami took in the crisp feeling of fall around them. The decorations, the effervescence, and pleasantry no matter where she looked; the way the sun beamed off brick buildings in an orange glow when it was only the midafternoon.

Asami pulled up to their next destination, which happened to be another outlet mall, but much bigger. She listened to Korra when she told her which way to go and where to park in the lot. They ended up in front of one of the larger parts of the building.

“Figures it would be this packed on a Saturday,” Korra noted when they were finally able to find a spot. People were walking through the lot as well, most of them families.

“What is this place?” Asami asked after parking. She looked over at the front of the building again. Squinting, she tried to read the sign.

“Why don’t you come look for yourself. Make sure you grab your coat and your toque.”

“Okaaaay,” Asami unbuckled the seatbelt and did as Korra instructed. When they got inside, she grinned from ear to ear. “It’s an indoor amusement park!”

“Indeed, it is.” Korra smiled at Asami’s excitement.

“I guess I know now why I need the coat.” She shivered as she looked around, trying to find the source of the cold, and then she squealed and pointed. “Oh, my god! Korra, there’s ice skating!”

And there was much more than that. There were various rides and attractions, most of them for kids, and a couple of arcade games as well.

Korra chuckled at Asami’s childish candor. “Yes, it’s a lot to take in. Even for me. This place has changed a lot since the last time I was here.”

“This is ridiculously awesome. I haven’t been to an amusement park in forever, _if_ ever.”

“Never?” Korra questioned.

“Maybe when I was small, or a few times with one of the nannies I had, but I can’t remember.”

“My mom took me here at least twice a month. I was so obsessed,” Korra recalled.

“Where should we go first?” Asami asked.

“Ice skating most definitely,” Korra said and placed her palm on the small of Asami’s back before leading her toward the rink. After renting their skates, they went over to the locker area and secured their other belongings.

“So, it’s not a stretch then to believe that Canadians have that natural-born custom of knowing how to ice skate?” Asami asked.

“Of all the birthday parties I attended as a child, 90 percent of them involved ice skating. So yeah, it’s pretty serious business around here.”

“And let me take another wild guess and say you weren’t the type of girl to imagine yourself being a famous, multi-Olympic ice-skating champion.”

“Good guess. I had to weep to get my parents to let me try out for the girls’ hockey team at my school.”

“They didn’t let you?”

“No, they did. I even made the team.”

“No way! Why am I just now learning my hot girlfriend is a former hockey player?”

“Hardly. I made the team, but it wasn’t a long career. My dad made me quit after the first game because I got into a fight.”

“Ah,” Asami said with a nod as she sat down on the bench and tried to pull on her first skate.

“In my defense, the girl had it coming after she body-slammed me so hard into the glass that my helmet came off.”

“Ouch.” Asami grimaced. Then she released a frustrated noise when she struggled to fit the boot around her heel.

“Need help, princess?” Korra asked.

“They’re just in the wrong size,” Asami said stubbornly.

Korra put her skates on the bench and walked over to her. Kneeling, she batted Asami’s hands away so that she could try. After loosening the shoelaces more and pulling the tongue out further, she grabbed Asami’s foot and guided it inside the boot with ease.

“See? Looks like it fits just fine,” Korra said, lifting her head to smile up at Asami.

Seeing that look made Asami’s heart thump. At the same time, heat fled up to her cheeks. Korra was making it so hard not to…

“What was that?” Korra asked, distracted as she tied Asami’s laces.

Asami, not realizing she spoke her thoughts out loud, shook her head and stammered. “Nothing.”

Korra took the other skate, did the same ministrations, and then slid it on Asami’s left foot. After tying that one, she patted it and stood up. Once she put on her skates, they were both ready and headed out to the rink. Quite a few people were skating around on the ice, the children’s laughter, giggles, and whines a very present but not unpleasant sound.

“I’ll have to warn you that I’m not a good ice skater,” Asami said as they approached the entrance. “I haven’t done it since I was at least 13.”

“You’ll do fine. I promise I won’t let you fall.”

Korra entwined their fingers and guided them out onto the rink. Asami kept her grip firm, scared that at any moment she’d slip and embarrass herself. Korra smiled and used encouraging words as they eased around the full rink. Once they reached the opposite side, Korra showed Asami a tunnel that led into a narrow pathway that wrapped around the entire park. LED lights on the edge platforms lit up the ice from underneath in a crystal color blue that matched Korra’s eyes.

Korra’s confidence boost helped Asami, and she felt comfortable enough to let go of Korra’s hand. They glided along, passing by a few people. Korra’s steps were fluid throughout, graceful even. When there was no one else close enough in their path, she spun around and faced Asami, smiling cheekily as she skated backward.

“Show off,” Asami grumbled.

Korra laughed, her head tilting back, and Asami’s chest did that thing again. Her thoughts all jelled together until one stood out. The same thought she’d been having a lot lately. But it would have to remain nestled in a corner of her brain, for however much time Korra needed. Asami knew it was too soon for them, but God did it sound so right. They could joke about it forever, but underneath it all, Asami knew what she wanted. She was certain that Korra knew it, too. But the key was patience…

They continued to skate around, dancing to the music playing all over the building. Or, well, Korra danced, and Asami focused on keeping herself upright. After the third lap, they stopped over near a rest spot and sat down on a ledge.

“I should’ve given you a scarf to wear. Your cheeks are so red,” Korra said, putting a gloved hand on Asami’s cheek to offer some heat.

“I’m okay. I’m not cold,” Asami said.

Korra reached into her coat and pulled out her phone. She stared down at it for a second before returning it to her pocket.

“Still nothing from your mom?” Asami asked.

“Nope.” Korra sighed. Her eyes turned a little somber before she looked at Asami, smiling when she saw her sympathetic expression. “It’s okay. They owe me later, right?”

“Yeah… right.” Asami raised her hand and twirled one of Korra’s curls in her finger. “What time does this place close?”

“Eight.”

“Well, there’s plenty more to do around here,” Asami said, looking around the area. They were right by the carousel. “Wanna walk around for a bit? We can get on some rides and then I can beat you at a couple of games.”

Korra smirked. “You sound confident for someone who’s never been here before. Also, you’re talking to the same person who’s played every single game and gotten the highest score on each one at least _twice._ ”

“Oh, Korra, honey,” Asami said, patting her girlfriend on the leg. “You should know by now that presenting me with a challenge will only make destroying you even sweeter.”

“Those sound like fighting words to me. You’re on, Sato.”

**TBC…**


	5. Tales Told by the Bonfire

They stayed in the amusement park until closing time. And when Korra still hadn’t received a message from Senna, they went out for dinner. Korra checked several of the nearby restaurant ratings and menus before they decided to go with Indian food. They ate and chatted for a while, thinking about their plans for tomorrow. Asami mentioned something about going to Beauport Bay in the morning, and Korra didn’t hate the idea. She hadn’t been there in a long time, and the sand and water would provide a change of pace from all the downtown area life.

By the time they left the restaurant, it was dark out. Korra didn’t want to admit it, but she’d grown disheartened throughout the evening. After checking her phone almost minute by minute for her mother’s message, she finally turned it off and put it away for good. She wouldn’t bog herself down, and for the most part, hanging out with Asami helped take her mind off of it. They stuck with the pact they made before arriving. Every time Korra sunk into the lake of doubt and pessimism, Asami would be there with her ring buoy to pull Korra back onto the safety of their boat.

“Should we head to the house now?” Asami asked as they drove out of the parking lot.

“No, not yet,” Korra said after a moment of indecision, then she met Asami’s gaze. “There’s one more place I want to show you before we head back.”

“Okay,” Asami said in a softer tone. “Where to?”

They went back to Beauport, and when they were about 5 miles away from Korra’s house, she told Asami to stop over by an empty park. Korra stared over at it for a while. The night looked familiar. The clouds a little closer, a crescent moon, the cold chill of the night that went hand-in-hand with the silence.

She remained quiet as she got out of the car, barely hearing Asami switch off the ignition and get out as well. They walked through the grass and onto the playground until they reached a four-person swing-set. Korra sat down in the middle one from the right.

“You know… I didn’t realize until now that this day kind of reminds me of our first date,” Korra said. “You and I took each other to significant places, whether they brought us good memories or bad ones, and it finally got us—mainly me—to open up to each other.” Korra looked up at Asami, who stood in front of her. “Do you remember how you felt that night?”

Asami folded her arms and answered a beat later. “A lot of things. I was happy and relieved that we finally reached that point, but at the same time it made me sad that we went so long without being in each other’s lives.”

The corner of Korra’s mouth twitched upward and she dug her foot into some of the mulch. “This isn’t a favorite place of mine, but it does hold a lot of significance. If I had to put a pin on the place where my life changed so drastically, it’s here. I still remember the lights of the cruiser driving up and the officers finding me. I remember the drive to the station. Most of all, I remember Tonraq’s face when he walked in and saw me. So apoplectic, and yet he tried so hard not to go off in front of everyone who was already giving us looks. But then we got in the car and the fuse blew…”

As Korra spoke, Asami came over and sat on the swing at the left of her. Neither said anything for a while, and it allowed Korra to think even harder.

“I had so much sadness and anger that’s still visceral to me even 10 years after the fact. But along with those feelings, I’ve also realized how much that moment was a blessing in disguise. Because if it never happened, I never would’ve met you.”

Asami turned and met Korra’s stare, her eyes flickering across Korra’s face. Then she offered a small smile. 

“That’s something I’ve always thought, but I didn’t want to offend you if I said it.”

“I wish you would have,” Korra said. She pushed herself on the swing, but her feet never left the ground. “Do you ever think about what life would’ve been like if I was never sent to live with my uncle? That Tonraq got his way and sent me off to some boot camp?”

“Have you thought about it?” 

“Not until now. I would probably be even more of a walking disaster. Maybe I would’ve still ended up running away once I turned 18, or sooner.”

Asami hummed as she thought about it. “I would’ve never been confident enough to go against my father, still glued into an unhealthy relationship, and living in denial. Hell, I’d probably grow up to be another asshole rich kid who thought too highly of myself. At least until my early twenties—then things would’ve changed.”

“Because of Hiroshi?”

Asami nodded. “Yeah. But also, because around the same time, I would’ve ended up meeting you.”

Surprised, Korra looked over at Asami. “What?”

“Not to romanticize the situation or anything, but there are some people who are just made to be in each other’s lives, no matter the alternative. For me, that’s you. Sure, I could go on without knowing you, but would I be complete? Would I turn out to be the person I was ‘meant’ to become? I don’t think so. You bring something out of me that no one else can. And without that something, I’d feel like an empty, soulless puppet that only ‘lives’ for other people’s control. So yeah, I believe that somewhere down the line, no matter how long it would take, we’d end up meeting and making a long-lasting impact on each other.”

Korra smiled to herself, Asami’s profound perspective on things once again shedding a light over everything.

“For your sake, I’d hope it was much later on.” Korra brought her hands on both of the chains. She didn’t even know what sparked her to have this conversation. It was a little morbid to think about too if she were honest. Thinking about a life without meeting the one person who believed in her more than anyone else sounded like a short life. She already had one foot in the grave a long time ago. There was no need to think about her feet ending up in both in some stupid alternative dimension.

“Your father,” Asami spoke in a questioning tone. “I don’t think you ever told me why he was banished from Nunavut.”

“Oh yeah…” Korra looked down as she pondered the story she heard so many times. “There was an accident.”

“Accident?”

“His parents uprooted him and Unalaq to their home village in Nunavut. He hated it there, and I guess it caused him to act out. One day, he was supposed to be out on a hunt with his assigned partner, but he never showed up. His partner ended up missing for four days until he was found in bad shape after getting attacked by a grey wolf.”

“Oh, my god,” Asami said, putting a hand over her chest. “And he survived that?”

“Barely. But after, the village got together, and the parents of the boy who almost died said they wanted my dad out of the village. Tonraq’s parents took it a step further and banished him from the territory. Everyone shunned him except my mom, and eventually my uncle.”

“That’s terrible. I mean I get that he made a horrible mistake, but there was no other way?”

“In that village, it was more than a community. It was brethren. They had rules, and the number one rule was to never abandon your brother or sister, even under tough circumstances. Tonraq broke it, so he faced the consequences.”

“And your mom went with him?” Asami asked, and when Korra nodded, she gave an outward sigh. “That’s intense.”

“I can’t even tell you how many times I had to hear it,” Korra said with a sigh. Her father relayed the story to her every time she did something wrong or not up to his standards. Eventually, it all just became words. She wondered if hearing it again from him now would make her feel the same way she did the first time she heard it. Leaning her head against the chain below her hand, she looked at Asami. “I really do want this to work,” she admitted.

“I know you do,” Asami said and gave Korra a commiserative look. A second later, she offered her hand. Korra took it and squeezed it as they rocked back and forth on their swings.

“I don’t want to go down this road only to find that it’s a dead end. I’m trying _not_ to think about it getting there,” Korra said.

“It’s scary,” Asami agreed. “You’re putting yourself out there like this for them in a way you’ve done with very few people. I know that things might get a little twisted in your head when you see them go back to what seems like old formulas, but give it some time.”

“I didn’t tell you that my mom asked me to go to counseling with her and Tonraq.”

“What? Really?” Asami turned inward, twisting the chain of the swing.

“Yeah,” Korra said, her tone less than enthusiastic.

“That’s huge… Do you not want to do it?”

“I told my mom I’d think about it, but you know I don’t do well with sharing my feelings. Especially not with some stranger being in the room,” Korra said.

“It’s kind of random that she set this up for you guys during your first visit back.”

“It’s not random. Apparently my parents have been going to counseling for years now.”

“Oh… Well, then, maybe it won’t be so bad?”

“For them. What can one session do? I’m going back to New York after this, and it’s not like I can come up here every week and go with them.”

“True,” Asami drew out the word as she swung their hands between them. “But this would be a way to finally have that long-awaited conversation with your dad. Almost an entire hour of his undivided attention, and you can tell him how he made you feel all those years ago. Then after that, you guys can build on that conversation well after the session.”

Korra considered it. She figured that, no, it wasn’t a bad idea to at least give it a shot. And even if she didn’t do most of the talking, maybe she could hear her father’s perspective for the first time. He was the one she got her closed-off behavior from, so it would be interesting to see him be in the hot seat for once.

Pulling out her phone, she turned it on and waited a minute for it to boot up. Once it did, she received a text and two missed calls from Senna.

“Looks like they’re home now,” she said after reading each text. “And Mom says she has a surprise for us once we get back.”

“I wonder what it is.”

“Let’s not wait to find out.” Korra got up from the swing and pulled Asami to her feet. They headed back to the car, but then Asami stopped. When Korra turned, she saw a look of introspection on her girlfriend’s face.

“What is it?” Korra asked.

“Nothing. But… thank you for sharing this place with me. I know it brings back a painful time in your life, but I’m glad I got to see this final spot that ended up bringing you to me.”

Korra smiled. “You’re welcome.”

“Also,” Asami continued, then she bit her lip as she met Korra’s stare. “No matter what happens with this and whether you choose to forgive him or not… I’m really proud of you.”

Korra reached forward and touched Asami’s arms, rubbing them up and down to give her some warmth. Those words of praise, just like any other time, gave her the boost of confidence she needed. Although, unlike other times, Korra experienced a pit in her stomach. A sort of pressure that told her she _couldn’t_ ruin this. Not for them. Not for Asami. She would rather relive one of her worst days before seeing a look of disappointment at her on Asami’s face ever again.

* * *

When they arrived back at the house, they found Senna on the couch in the great room. She smiled at them both and stood up.

“Hey girls, how was the rest of your day?”

“It was great,” Asami said. “Korra took me to a couple of her favorite places from when she was a kid.”

“What a fun idea! Did one of those places include the ice-skating rink at the mall?”

“Wow, you really were obsessed with that place, weren’t you?” Asami looked at Korra in amusement.

“I would have to pull her off the ice kicking and screaming,” Senna said. Her laughter that followed was such a pleasant sound, never forced anymore and straight from the chest.

“So, what’s this I hear about you having a surprise for us?” Korra asked.

“Oh, yes! I’m waiting for your father to come back inside.”

A few minutes later, Tonraq walked in from the backdoor in the kitchen. He peeled off a pair of leather gloves and wiped some sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his long-sleeved shirt. After giving a polite hello, he looked at Senna.

“The wood’s all chopped, and I’ve got the fire going,” he announced.

Senna clapped her hands together. “Perfect,” she said, then turned back to Korra and Asami. “How do you girls feel about having a little bonfire?”

“Really?” Korra looked between her parents.

“We figured you don’t have a lot of them in New York, so I thought you’d like to have one while you’re here… just like old times,” Senna said.

“I’ve never been to a bonfire, so I’m in,” Asami said in elation.

“Korra? How about you?” Senna asked. Tonraq walked up behind her and fiddled with his gloves. A moment later, he glanced up and met Korra’s eye line. 

Korra swallowed and then cleared any of the apprehension that stuck to the back of her throat. “Yeah… I’d like that,” she said.

Once they reached that decision, Senna took Tonraq with her to go grab some blankets from the laundry room. Meanwhile, Korra and Asami went upstairs and changed out of their thick coats, opting for a pair of hoodies, hats, and scarves. Asami, of course, didn’t pack a single hoodie and ended up stealing Korra’s favorite one out of her suitcase. After threatening bloody murder over the thought of it getting ruined, Korra caved and let Asami wear it.

They went back downstairs and headed outside. Senna and Tonraq were a couple of feet away in the open backyard seated in comfortable-looking chairs. They kept warm under their blankets and talked in quiet voices as they watched the fire grow from the pit. Senna caught them walking up and grinned.

“I bought some stuff to make smores if you guys are still hungry,” Senna said, pointing toward the bag of treats. “I whipped up some hot cocoa for all of us too. But there’s also some beer and water.”

“Hot cocoas fine, thanks,” Korra said. She and Asami grabbed the two mugs sitting on the edge of the pit in front of them. They got comfy in their chairs, scooting them closer to each other and sharing a large, wool blanket. Korra looked over and saw Asami pick up one of the marshmallow roasting sticks and attempt to make her first s’more. “Don’t poke your eye out with that, city girl,” she teased.

Asami tooted her nose up. “It can’t be that hard.”

“The last time you said something like that, our kitchen almost burnt down.”

Senna laughed. “In Asami’s defense, I’ve often saved your father from burning his face off in front of this pit.”

“She exaggerates.” Tonraq chuckled and took a drink from his beer. Korra watched him through the crackling flames, recognizing the look in his eyes but unable to put her finger on it.

“How did the surgery go, by the way?” Asami asked Senna.

“It went well. There were a few clots, but I got them all out and she’s going to make a speedy recovery.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“You can only imagine my relief that I didn’t have to tell an 8-year-old that her Princess Snowflake wasn’t coming back.”

Asami laughed. “Princess Snowflake?”

“Trust me, I’ve heard plenty of names children have given their pets, and that one is pretty tame. I could give you a few to draw inspiration from whenever you guys plan on getting a dog.”

“A dog?” Tonraq questioned. “You guys are planning on adopting?”

“Not anytime soon,” Korra answered. She kept her focus, making sure Asami didn’t burn her marshmallow to a tar crisp.

“I remember that time you found that one pup back there by the shed.” Tonraq pointed over to the area beside the oak tree.

Korra looked at him first in surprise, then over at the shed. “I don’t remember that.”

“You were only about 5 at the time,” Tonraq said. “The pup was injured, and your mom saved its life.”

“Oh, I remember that,” Senna said, poking her lip out in sadness. “The poor little guy was so malnourished. I couldn't believe it survived.”

“When I told you we couldn’t keep it, you made me search every inch of the neighborhood to find its family until we finally did,” Tonraq said.

Korra stared, trying to recall the moment so that she didn’t have to doubt it was real. She knew those pure moments with her father existed, but they were at the bottom of the stack. Like a house with a foundation, but too much insurgency inside to remember the building blocks.

“We should play some music,” Senna said after a quiet moment passed. Pulling out her phone, she got up. “Korra, you’re the musical expert around here. I’ll leave this job up to you.”

Korra, who found herself staring hard at the flames, looked up as Senna approached.

“Please don’t boost her ego,” Asami said.

Senna handed over her phone to Korra. It already had the Spotify app open.

“Choose anything you like,” she said, giving an earnest nod.

Korra looked up at her in amusement and took the phone. She searched for a playlist and decided to go for something instrumental with some folk and trance inspiration mixed in. 

Senna smiled and bobbed her head from side to side, trying to determine whether she liked it. When she decided she did, she walked back over to her chair. 

“So you guys had a lot of these when Korra was younger?” Asami asked. After making a successful s’more, she got comfortable and folded her legs up on the chair. She leaned into Korra’s shoulder enough to rest her head and took a crunchy bite into her concoction.

“Not all the time, but we never ran out of wood, so having them every day wasn’t an impossibility. Isn’t that right, honey?” she looked over at Tonraq and chuckled when she heard him grunt. Then she looked at Korra. “I remember how you always asked me to tell you the story of how your father and I fell in love. I’m pretty sure at one point you knew it better than me.”

“Not possible,” Korra said, looking down and hiding her embarrassment.

“I haven’t heard it,” Asami said, lifting her head for a second. The eager sound in her tone reminded Korra of her excitement in the past.

Senna looked over at Tonraq with a teasing smile. “What do you think? Should I?”

“Go right ahead,” replied Tonraq. He had a half-smile on his face as he took another swig of his beer.

Senna turned her chair more in Korra and Asami’s direction.

“It was 1986 in Nunavut, which was still known as the Northwest Territories before becoming separated several years later—long after Tonraq and I left. I was 16 years old, and I was the youngest in my family of three sisters. We lived in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, in this small village outside the capital. There were no more than 30 families, but it was our little community.

“As you can probably imagine, the weather was no joke. You couldn’t call it weather, even. Just a never-ending cold front that could send you into shock if an inch of your neck was so much as exposed. It’s not a place for just anyone to live. In fact, the people in the village would all joke about us having an undiscovered blood type. That’s why it came as a surprise to a lot of us when we learned that a couple who’d left so many years ago would be returning to us with their two teenaged sons.”

Korra glanced over at Tonraq, questioning his thought process as Senna spoke of that time filled with as many ups and downs as Korra’s past. Hearing it now made her realize how she never paid attention to her father’s expressions. At the time she was too enchanted by the illusion of a fairytale.

“When they moved back from California—where Tonraq and his brother were born—it created a lot of buzz. Because we were a small village, there were rarely any surprises or new things to talk about. So, when those scarce occasions happened, it was pretty exciting.”

“Why don’t you get to the part where we met and you hated me,” Tonraq suggested.

Senna rolled her eyes and playfully slapped him on the arm. “I didn’t _hate_ you.”

“So you guys started on the wrong track, huh?” Asami looked over at Korra. “That sounds familiar.”

“We’re skipping ahead, but I didn’t have a single interaction with him and his brother for at least the first five months. Though we’d often find ourselves in the same room together, they kept to themselves for the most part. However, they were very much the talk amongst the group of teens there. Most of the families had two to three children ranging in ages. But there was a core group of us that would get stuck together and tasked to go and hunt for food four out of seven days a week. So, one day, we all got separated into teams of two. Tonraq and I got put together, and at the time, I was still a shy and timid girl. My sisters would gang up on me more often than not and tease me about doing everything our parents said. But one thing they couldn’t tease me about was my ability to hunt. I came in as second best to my father and always felt such tremendous pride whenever I came home with the largest sack. So imagine my irritation when this guy over here takes out all of the game we step foot across single-handedly.”

Asami snickered and Korra ended up smiling.

“I think what pissed me off more than anything was that he didn’t realize I had a problem with it. Not until we were all the way back at camp and he bragged to his brother about how easy it was for him. I chewed him out in front of everyone and called him some not-so-nice words in our native language. And Tonraq, the most reserved one out of the group up to that point—even after hunting down angry antelope—saw his life flash before his eyes that day.”

“Not that anyone could blame me,” Tonraq said. “You don’t get angry, so those rare moments you do are scary.”

“And for that I am proud,” Senna said with a grin.

“What happened after that?” Asami asked. “Did he apologize or anything?”

Senna laughed. “Nope. I think we were too mortified to ever be near each other again. It took until my 18th birthday—two years after the fact. On a night like this one actually, but much colder. We didn’t celebrate birthdays normally, but anytime someone turned 18 in the village, the teens would plot and plan. We’d have bonfires and stay out all night under the Northern Lights just eating, laughing, dancing, and celebrating the gift of life. But as I said, I was a shy girl, so most of the time at those gatherings I’d be sitting alone somewhere reading a book. But that particular night of my birthday, one of the boys got his hands on a bottle of hooch, and pretty soon everyone was having a good time. Almost everyone. I didn’t even think Tonraq would show up. He sat over on a log in front of the fire all by himself. And I don’t know. Maybe it was the environment or the fact that my sisters downed so many drinks in me, but there was this subtle shift... I went over and sat beside him, and we didn’t speak much at first. I figured he was too into his thoughts, or sad even. But then he casually leans over into my right ear and whispers, ‘I’m sorry.’ Since I was so impressionable at the time, that was all I needed. We talked the rest of the night after that. I hadn’t even noticed it’d been the whole night and that we were the only ones left in front of those burning embers. And I didn’t realize until later on that not once did I ever complain about being cold. It didn’t take long for me to figure out who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.”

Korra watched her mother’s eyes flicker toward Tonraq, warm and full of adoration.

“That’s so sweet,” Asami said, smiling, and then she looked at Korra. “I can see why you liked listening to it so much.”

“She loved it,” Senna said while getting up and walking toward them. “And you want to know what else she loved after listening to that story?”

Senna kept smiling as she came closer. Grabbing Asami by the hand, she pulled her out of the chair and unraveled her from the blanket. The music changed to an upbeat melody, and Senna began to dance. She moved Asami’s arms back and forth until Asami moved voluntarily, her hand moving through her hair and body moving from side to side. 

“Now just imagine a night like this in negative 30 degrees Celsius,” Senna said. “Sometimes dancing was the only thing that could keep you warm.”

Korra smiled when she heard Asami’s laughter and watching her spin around. Senna danced with her for a while before making her way over to Korra.

“Wha—”

“Oh, come on. Don’t be shy. I know how much you love dancing.” Senna grabbed Korra’s arms and gave her a fun little shake. “It’s good for the soul, remember?”

Korra let herself be pulled up, and then Senna grabbed Asami’s hand, and they formed a chain.

“Are you going to join us, honey?” she called over to Tonraq.

“I’ll sit this one out,” he said in good humor.

“Always the life of the party, aren’t ya?” Senna teased, then she looked to Asami. “Just follow along and freestyle it if you’re confused. Korra, do you remember how to do it?”

“A little,” Korra admitted.

“It’ll come back to you,” Senna spoke with confidence and squeezed Korra’s hand before letting go. She explained the simple footwork to Asami, who nodded along intently and mimicked Senna’s movements. Once Asami was comfortable, Senna grabbed her phone and changed the current song to one involving drums. Her hair whipped around her as she turned and ran back to join them. Then they started to dance. It was a series of six steps in rotation while moving in a circle. Even at the age of 6, Korra was able to pick up on it.

They moved around the fire, dancing and twirling and laughing as the drums beat louder and faster, forcing them to pick up the pace.

Throughout it all, Korra could not bring herself to look up every single time they passed by Tonraq. She could feel his eyes on them, but after so many times in the past of meeting a look of uncanniness, she didn’t want to be disenchanted. Not in that moment. Not when everything felt so perfect.

But for some reason, even with that notion and hesitance, she met her father’s eyes anyway.

He smiled.

* * *

It was a quarter past midnight and every one long since retired for the night. Korra fell asleep 30 minutes ago, but Asami remained awake. She got a lot of sleep the day before, so tonight she felt restless and unable to shut her mind off.

Rather than toss and turn in bed, she decided to get up and go grab a glass of water from the kitchen. Her steps were light as she headed down the staircase and through the house. Because it was dark, she was careful not to bump into anything. Once she reached the kitchen, she breathed easier and turned a light on.

A dark, lone figure sitting at the kitchen island caught her eye and she shrieked.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Tonraq said. “I guess it’s weird of me to just be sitting here alone in the dark like this.”

“It’s okay. I guess we both had the same idea,” Asami said, pointing at the clear glass in Tonraq’s hands.

He glanced down at the drink in question and gave a closed-mouth smile. “Yeah…”

Asami smiled back and went to grab herself a glass from the cabinet, then she filled it with tap water. Feeling Tonraq’s looming presence from behind made her sweat the tiniest bit.

“Are you enjoying your time here so far?” Tonraq asked a minute later.

“Yes, definitely.” Asami looked at him with pleasantness. “You and Senna have a lovely home.”

“Thank you. Although I can’t take credit for it,” Tonraq said.

“I know. She told us all about this 30-year-old project of hers.

“Of course she did.” Looking down, Tonraq shook his head and chuckled.

Asami laughed a little as well. Since arriving, her only real conversation with Tonraq was the night before at dinner. They had small interactions here and there at the bonfire, but it wasn’t anything substantial, and Tonraq didn’t speak much at all for the rest of the night. Asami could see where Korra got her aloofness.

After cleaning her glass and putting it into the dishwasher, Asami turned. At first, she wanted to say a quick goodnight and make a break for it to Korra’s room, but then she caught the look on Tonraq’s face. His eyes were downcast as he stared at nothing, and it reminded Asami so much of Korra just then. She stood there, unsure of what to do for a solid five seconds, but then her mouth finally moved.

“We missed you out there today.”

Tonraq sighed. “I know. I apologize. It’s always so unpredictable in the line of work I’m in. I’m sure you can relate, being a CEO and all.”

“Right.” Asami cleared her throat. “So, Korra took me to the amusement center inside the Quebec City Mall. The one with the ice rink.”

“Oh. That’s nice.”

“Yeah…” Asami tried not to frown. She thought a light would’ve flickered in his eyes the same way it did with Senna. Then again, Korra never mentioned her father being present during the times Senna took her there.

“You must be missing a lot of work to be up here with Korra,” Tonraq said.

“It’s no big deal. I’ve learned in the past year that my employees can manage for a few days without me.”

Tonraq snorted and finished off the rest of his glass. “If only I could say the same thing about mine. I feel like the city would go up in flames if I wasn’t there for a day.”

Asami had to restrain herself from a somewhat snappy response. She knew very well how unpredictable a demanding job could be. For a while, she let the epicenter of her father’s world restructure itself and become her own. She knew better now, though, and she had a lot more to consider before letting one thing define her for the rest of her life.

But the difference between her and Tonraq? He should’ve realized it a long time ago. It made Asami wonder how much he took on because he was needed versus how much he wanted to be needed.

“You know…,” Tonraq said, and Asami gave him a curious look. “It’s pretty fortunate that Korra found herself someone like you. Senna said you’ve done a lot of remarkable work for your age. You should be proud.”

He meant it as a compliment, but Asami took the most time lamenting those words.

“Korra’s not the fortunate one,” she said, keeping her voice leveled. “While I appreciate that you see my work as remarkable, that came at a price, sir. Before that, I lost just about everything—”

“I’m sorry. That’s not what I was trying to imply,” Tonraq interrupted.

“That’s not what I mean,” Asami said. “What I mean is that I went a long time being the person who put my work over a lot of things. I had to because if I didn’t, my company would’ve never stood a chance after what my father did to ruin it. Along the way, I think I lost my identity for a while. I was a workhorse for three long years, and I thought it’d be the only thing other people would see me as. But then Korra came back into my life and reminded me of who I was.”

She noticed Tonraq shift uncomfortably. But he wasn’t the only one. Asami couldn’t stop though, because she knew he needed to hear this.

“She is the single most inspiring person I’ve ever met, and she doesn’t give herself nearly enough credit,” she continued. “How she can deal with being in a high-profile relationship with me is still a question I’m too afraid to ask. The way I was treated and trashed in the media for so long… I know a lot of people who wouldn’t want to be a part of any of this, but she does. She’d do anything for me, just as I would for her. That also means that if I had to choose between living a normal, unbothered life with her or making millions, I would choose her without question. So no, sir, she’s not the fortunate one at all.”

By the time she finished, Tonraq lowered his head, his expression unreadable.

“I see what you mean,” he said after a weighty pause.

Asami exhaled before making her final point for the night.

“Sir—Tonraq—If you’re welcome to it… I might have some useful advice.”

Tonraq didn’t give a verbal response. Instead, he folded his arms and turned his body toward Asami. His posture indicated that he was listening.

“It’s not easy for Korra to open up to people. She gets scared and runs away a lot. She’s even run away from me a couple of times…” Asami looked down at her hands. “I guess what I’m trying to get at is that making this decision to come here and see you wasn’t easy for her. The fact that she decided to… that’s a huge step. So, now that she’s here, and you’re here, I think the one thing she’s going to value the most is if you extend the same level of openness and honesty that she's giving you.”

She hoped she wasn’t speaking too out of turn. Her hands were shaking and heart shattering records for the fastest pulse.

“Korra’s given you all the details about our complicated past, hasn’t she?” Tonraq asked.

Asami looked up and saw Tonraq staring at her with an indiscernible expression. “She… Yes.”

“And you were her closest friend in high school?”

Asami’s brows knit together. What did that have to do with anything? “Yes.”

“You said she came back into your life. What does that mean?”

“Oh. Well…,” Asami grew stiff and breathed out, “we had a falling out before our high school graduation. Then she left after Unalaq… you know…

Tonraq didn’t ask any more questions. He nodded and pulled away from the counter, then he went to put his glass in the sink.

“Thank you, Asami,” he said as he walked by her. “I can see why my wife is so fond of you. Have a good night.”

Asami blinked as she watched him walk out of the kitchen.

“You, too,” she murmured. With a sigh, she went and turned out the light before making her way upstairs.

She received no confirmation, nor did she have any confidence that Tonraq would do right by Korra. But if Tonraq was the one to suggest this entire thing, shouldn’t some sort of progress have already been made? There had to be some level of guilt, remorse, or acknowledgment of his failure. All Tonraq had to do was find the right words and the courage to say them.

Right?

She wanted to believe that Tonraq struggled a lot with his externalizing the same way Korra did. It made a lot of sense when looking at him trying to hold a conversation. Asami was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but she wasn’t the one he needed to convince. That all relied on Korra. For her sake, Asami hoped Tonraq would get his thoughts sorted out sooner than later.

**TBC…**


	6. DNA

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let's wrap this shit up

_“I’ve **had** it, Senna. I’m done.”_

_“Lower your voice, please.”_

_Korra sat at the top of the staircase, out of sight from her parents. Her father exiled her to her room the moment they returned home from the police station. It was a long night, and she still had school in the morning. That is if she lived to see sunrise._

_After unleashing his fury in the car ride, Tonraq didn’t say another word to Korra, and Korra was too traumatized to give a verbal response. She could only watch the way his hands gripped the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles threatened to puncture through his skin._

_Senna and Tonraq quieted for a while, but then Korra heard the sound of liquid pouring._

_“You’re drinking right now, seriously?” Senna asked._

_“You aren’t?” Tonraq retorted, going silent to presumably swallow down a quarter of his drink of choice. “Enough is enough. She’s gotten out of control and I’m not going to put up with it anymore. She’s failing all her classes, fighting in school, and now this.”_

_“What I don’t understand is why,” Senna said. “Why is she doing this? Maybe that’s what we need to get to the bottom of. There has to be some reason behind it all.”_

_“What can she possibly have this much anger about? She’s raised in a good home and with a loving family, which is more than a lot of people can say. Just because we don’t let her have her way all the time doesn’t mean we’re doing her some unfair injustice in the world. My parents were way tougher on me than I am on her. She’s ungrateful is what it is.”_

_A small whimper left Korra’s mouth. She wrapped her hand around one of the banister railings and put her face into her arm to muffle any more noises._

_“Do you even know how this makes me look?” Tonraq continued. “You should’ve seen all the stares we received on the way out. And imagine if we hadn’t found her tonight.”_

_“I know,” Senna said, though she sounded less angered than him. “Once we’ve all calmed down, we’ll have to sit down and talk about it together as a family.”_

_“Because that’s worked so many times before, right?” Tonraq said in sardonicism. “There’s only so much we can do, Senna. It’s only gotten worse this year. At this point, we’re looking at a lost cause.”_

_“Don’t say that…”_

_Not wanting to hear anymore, Korra stood up and quietly made her way back to her room. She put her back against the door as it closed. Her hands trembled at her sides and she squeezed her eyes shut._

_A lost cause. That’s all she was to him now. But whose fault was that?_

_She never planned on running away, but right now it looked like that would’ve been the better option._

* * *

A wrench got thrown into Asami and Korra’s plans of going to the beach in the form of a cloudburst. It made for a lazy Sunday. Senna started cooking at around 11 in the morning, deciding on a slow-cooked meal for their dinner that night. While she was doing that, Korra took Asami down to the basement to search for the Halloween decorations. Senna kept everything organized and labeled, which made it much easier. The only catch was that it was also easy to find some of Korra’s old things that Senna kept stored. The minute Asami got ahold of Korra’s old stuffed teddy bears and yearbooks from primary school, Korra regretted bringing her down there. The following two hours consisted of Asami cooing over “baby Korra” in pigtails and overalls. Once that torture was over, they spent the rest of the day watching movies.

Senna would come into the room whenever she needed a break from the kitchen. Tonraq would pop in every once in a while too, sticking to his 'Sundays off' schedule. To Korra’s great surprise, he would initiate a conversation with her and Asami. It wasn’t anything of nuance, mostly about the storm and whatever they ended up watching on the TV. Then he’d rub the back of his neck and walk off, joining Senna in the kitchen or going upstairs to his study. 

Asami nodded off at some point on Korra’s shoulder while they were watching _The Mummy._ Korra took the time to check her phone and respond to a few texts she received. Most of them were from the groupchat. Jargala was bitching about something (of course) while Ginger was asking for opinions on themes for her first Halloween bash at the bar. Apparently she was opening the café in a week or so as well. 

On the side of all those conversations, Kuvira texted Korra privately and asked how she was doing. Aside from Asami, she was the only one who knew of the precariousness of Korra’s current situation. And ever since Korra’s minor scuffle in the back of GINGER’S a few weeks ago, her friend kept a closer eye on her than normal these days. But Korra didn’t take offense to it as she would’ve in the past. Instead, she gave Kuvira the response she requested and let her know that she was fine. It wasn’t as outlandish as she thought it would be, and it also served as a reminder that things were, in fact, fine. 

Senna walked in from the kitchen for the seventh time and smiled when she saw Asami fast asleep and one of Korra’s arms draped around her. 

“So precious,” she whispered to Korra as she sat down. “If only I had my phone. I could take a photo.”

Korra snorted. “I’m not the photo-taking kind of person.”

“You are with Asami. She posts the most adorable photos of you on her private Facebook.”

Korra groaned. “I can’t believe you’re even on social media.” 

“I’m surprised you aren’t after all the years you complained about not getting to have one like your friends.” 

“That was the wisest parenting decision you ever made.”

Senna chuckled. “Who knows. Maybe you’re onto something. It does have its benefits though. I love getting to see your life from someone else’s perspective. You express so much comfortability with her, and I know how much she cherishes that.”

Korra smiled and shifted carefully, keeping a firm hold on Asami’s shoulder. 

“Thank you for being so good with her. She admires you, and I’m happy she feels so comfortable sharing things with you. It means a lot to her, and me.” 

A lambent expression flickered on Senna’s face. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know her over these past three months. I can’t believe it’s only been that long.”

Korra nodded in agreement. Not much time passed at all, and their relationship was the strongest it had ever been. It sure enough came as a surprise to them both considering their elongated estrangement, but it was a welcome surprise. Although the circumstances that led to them drifting apart were devastating, the time they spent separated was enough for them to acknowledge the parts they played in the downfall of their relationship. 

“Have you made your decision about tomorrow yet?” Senna asked.

Korra glanced over at her, then she shifted her eyes around the room until they landed on her father’s many plaques. 

“Yeah… I’ll go,” she decided on the spot. 

“Really? You’re sure?”

 _No._ “Yes.” 

“Okay,” Senna placed a hand over Korra’s knee. “Thank you,” she said, wearing a soft smile. 

Korra smiled back. She watched Senna get up from the couch and mention something about sending an email to the counselor. When Senna left the room, Korra sighed and attempted to swallow down all lingering doubts and skepticism she still possessed. 

* * *

“7652… 7652…” 

Asami walked down a sidewalk, her eyes flickering up and down from the map on her phone to her current location. Almost every time she glanced up at the stores she passed, she met the eyes of smiling people. She really wasn’t in Kansas anymore. 

After the storm from yesterday trapped them inside all day, it was nice to be out exploring the city again. It was either that or spend the next two hours in the house all by herself with her anxiety worsening the longer she waited. 

She would’ve liked to attend the counseling session, or at least be there for moral and emotional support, but Korra said she thought she needed to do it alone. So Asami respected that decision. But her midnight conversation with Tonraq still weighed a lot on her mind. He did a good job yesterday of being more present, and Korra noticed that. Yet everything remained as stiff and stuck as a jammed gear. In fact, Asami feared she might’ve made things worse. Or maybe she was being paranoid? Although she didn’t know what she was being paranoid about. 

Rather than drive herself crazy with theories and hypotheticals, she thought it best to distract herself. And with Korra being away for a little while, it gave her the perfect opportunity to accompish what she’d been so eager to do since the first day they arrived.

She kept walking for about four minutes, then halted in her footsteps when her phone indicated she reached her destination. Looking up, she checked the address, saw the sign, then looked back down at the address in confusion. 

“This can’t be right,” she mumbled to herself. 

She asked Korra for the location a few weeks ago in total nonchalance, and Korra sounded confident in her answer. And if the coat store she passed was only a few doors down, she had to be in the right spot. 

“Are you lost, miss?” 

Asami turned to her right and saw a woman outside the café next door with a broom in her hand. She swept away some fallen leaves on the sidewalk and looked at Asami, who must’ve been wearing her “lost tourist” look. 

“No… Or at least I thought I wasn’t.” Asami glanced over at the hardware store again. “I was looking for a craftsman store.”

“Oh, you mean Mr. Akerolik’s old spot?” 

Asami perked up. “Yes. Is it nearby?”

The woman’s facial expression turned solemn, and she shook her head. “Unfortunately no. He passed away a few years ago, and the rest of his family couldn’t manage the store. They sold it last year.” 

“Oh…” Asami’s heart deflated. She tugged on her bracelet at the same time. “Is there another store like his around somewhere?” 

The woman shook her head again. “And if there was, it couldn’t hold a candle to Sam’s work. He was a one-of-a-kind craftsman in this area. An incredible loss to the community.” 

Asami's shoulders slumped a little. After thanking the woman, she walked off.

 _So much for that plan._ It looked like Korra wouldn’t be getting a special gift from this trip after all. 

* * *

Korra’s knee wouldn’t stop bouncing. Not during the 30-minute car ride, and not as she and her parents sat there in the waiting room. There wasn’t much to look at aside from the bland, framed stock photos on the walls and the mute television playing the news. Blue cushion chairs lined the walls in a linear path that led to the two offices beside each other. Korra wondered how thick the walls were. 

There was one other couple there, a pair that Senna and Tonraq knew well, given their friendly conversation as they waited. 

Korra didn’t have much to say, too busy trying to compartmentalize the pros and cons and whether to make a break for the parking lot. Now she really regretted not accepting Asami’s offer to join them. 

Glancing over, she saw her mother chattering away with a smile on her face and completely relaxed. From her demeanor during their dinner last night and her cheer this morning, she had enough excitement for the three of them. 

Korra shifted her eyes to Tonraq. He wore that typical pleasant smile while in the company of others. However, interestingly enough, his knee was also bouncing. It wasn't as noticeable as Korra’s, but enough to make her pause. 

The door on the left opened and a man walked out with a clipboard in his hands. 

“Senna and Tonraq,” he said, pushing his glasses up his face with his middle finger. 

Korra watched her parents stand up at the same time, and she did too after a lapsed second. The counselor patted them both on the shoulders as they passed through the door and spoke with genuine ardor. 

“And you must be Korra,” he said when he got to her. “My name is Tarrlok. I’m so glad to finally meet you.”

“You too.” Korra shook his hand. He was handsome, tall, and wore a suit jacket with blue jeans. He had an interesting hairstyle of three dreads going behind his back and blue ropes threaded in. 

“That’s quite the grip you have,” he told her. 

Korra hadn’t realized she’d been sizing him up and let go, apologizing. She walked into the room where her parents were already seated on a long sofa. There were two other comfortable-looking chairs to choose from, and Korra chose the one on the right of her mother. 

Tarrlok shut the door and walked over to them. “What’s the status, chief?” he spoke to Tonraq. 

“Same old, same old. End of the month, so that means—”

“Paperwork. I know the feeling,” Tarrlok finished with a laugh. He walked over and sat down across the square coffee table. For just a few minutes he made light conversation with Senna and Tonraq. A way of getting everyone comfortable, Korra assumed. Then he turned to her. “So, Korra, I don’t know if your parents have told you this, but you and I already have a bit of a connection.” 

Korra lifted a brow. “Do we?”

“Yes. My brother was the principal of the secondary school you went to.” 

“Oh…” Korra looked at both her parents. “I wasn’t aware.” 

“It honestly slipped my mind,” Senna admitted, though she gave Korra an apologetic look. “He moved up to being part of the school board now.” 

“Congrats to him, I guess,” Korra said dryly. “And since he and Dad were pals back then, I’m guessing that’s how you all got acquainted?” 

"No, not really, but...” Senna looked at Tarrlok and hesitated. 

“No worries, Senna,” Tarrlok reassured. He crossed his legs and looked at Korra. “My brother and I don’t talk much. Your parents and I didn’t even know for the first few months of our connection. But neither of us feel compromised by that, so we continued with our sessions. I hope you’re okay with it, too.” 

Korra shrugged. “He barely registers in my brain, so no. I don’t see a problem.” 

Tarrlok eyed her. “You seem like a very sharp person putting all of that together.”

“I’m just good at guesses.” Korra looked elsewhere. Her knee started bouncing again.

“Me too. So I’m going to guess you weren’t a fan of my brother?”

“Is anyone ever a fan of their principal?”

Tarrlok chuckled. “You’ve got me there.” 

“Korra went to his office a handful of times for disciplinary reasons,” Senna explained. Korra’s head snapped in her direction. She forgot, at that moment, that they were in a space where they could share that information. It didn’t mean it still wasn’t unnatural. 

“Right…” Tarrlok said, glancing between them both, and then downward at Korra’s knee. “Korra, have you ever seen a therapist or counselor before?” he asked. 

“Not really.” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

Korra folded her arms, trying to straighten her posture, but she only came across as more uncomfortable. “Nothing—It’s… No, I’ve never seen a counselor,” she said. 

Tarrlok nodded as he wrote something down. It was only a scribble, and Korra couldn’t imagine how he could sum up something from that tiny interaction. She was half tempted to joke that he would need a book the size of the dictionary to follow along with her. 

“Let’s back up for a moment.” Tarrlok looked up from his pad and right at Korra. “First and foremost, I want you to know that I’m merely a listener. I may analyze, and I'll give my thoughts, but this is not some sort of interrogation. I told your parents that you were welcome to join our dialogue here today because I sensed how important your visit was for them. This is an uninterrupted environment for you all to be able to talk about things that might have been on your minds for a while but haven’t had the chance to say. Or maybe you have, but not in the right words.” 

Korra looked over at her father and noticed him staring at the arm of the couch in deep thought. 

“Do you guys talk about me a lot in these sessions?” she asked.

“You’ve come up a few times, yes,” Tarrlok answered truthfully. Korra appreciated his directness. “They’ve told me their version of past events, but I’m interested in hearing yours.” 

“That would take a lot more than a 55-minute session,” she said. 

“I agree. Eight years is a lot of time to make up for and discuss. But the point here is that we start a conversation.”

“Thirteen actually,” Korra said in thought.

“That’s when you believe your issues with your parents started?” Tarrlok questioned, leaning forward. 

Looking elsewhere, Korra shrugged. She changed her mind. This was a bad idea. 

“Do you guys agree with Korra’s timestamp?” Tarrlok asked, looking at Senna and Tonraq. 

“Well…” Senna thought about it. “I’m sure there were minor tiffs before then. But if I had to put a date on it, then I guess a lot of what happened took place after Tonraq's promotion to chief, which lines up with Korra’s timeline.” 

Tarrlok nodded as he scribbled. “Tonraq, do you agree?”

“Not necessarily,” Tonraq said, making all eyes shift on him. Korra’s look was the one that held the most disbelief. “As Senna alluded to, there were times even before my promotion where Korra would lash out or get upset with me for not being able to make a commitment.” 

“When you use the phrase ‘lashing out,’ what do you mean?” Tarrlok asked. 

“Tantrums at school, going against her mother’s orders, picking fights with other kids and her teachers.”

“But that escalated even further after your promotion?” 

“That’s correct.” 

Korra forced herself to remain still. Though, her body language couldn’t hide her discomfort. The way her father spoke about her past troubles made it sound so trite. Like any other dinner conversation where he would discuss a typical situation he’d experience while on the job. 

“Did you ever sit down with Korra and talk about it?” Tarrlok asked. 

“All the time. We’d tell her why her behavior was unacceptable, and we tried to get her to correct it.” 

“No, not about the behavior. About the promotion.” Korra turned her head in Tarrlok’s direction. He glanced at her and then turned his attention back to Tonraq. “Something like that can cause a huge shift in families. It’s important to make sure everyone’s on the same page to prevent uncomfortable situations or misunderstandings.” 

“She knew it was a big deal because of how much her mother and I would discuss it,” Tonraq answered. But everyone, including him, knew it wasn’t a direct one.

“That sounds like more of an assumption. I’m asking if there was ever a sit-down conversation between the two of you where you explained your new role and how it could affect any future commitments you’d have to break.”

Korra’s teeth ground together as she awaited Tonraq’s response. She counted 10 seconds before his mouth opened. 

“No, I guess not,” he finally spoke. After that, he sat back on the couch and didn’t utter another word.

“It was a stressful time,” Senna explained. “There was so much going on, and a lot of things were changing all around us. I recently accepted a new job which was farther away, then Tonraq received the promotion. But I did tell Korra all about her father’s job and its importance whenever she would ask or question it.”

Korra couldn’t help it. She heaved a sigh. 

“What is it?” Senna looked at her, appearing confused. Korra felt bad for being so irritated with her, but at the same time, it felt justified.

“Nothing.”

“Don't be afraid to add on or disagree. There's no judgement here," Tarrlok encouraged. 

Korra waited, at first thinking she was better off disregarding his comment and remaining silent, but then that would’ve been childish. 

She turned and looked at her mother. 

“You’re doing it again. Making excuses… defending him and his actions—” 

“What? No, sweetie, that’s not what I’m trying to do at all.”

“We don’t want to invalidate anyone’s feelings here,” Tarrlok interrupted. “Let’s see what else Korra has to say first.” He inclined his head in Korra’s direction and urged her to continue. 

Korra folded her fingers together and placed them down on her bouncing knee, forcing it still. 

“I knew about how important the job was, yes, but as far as being asked my opinion or about how I felt, that never happened. Not with him. And it _should’ve_ been with him. Not you.” 

“Would you have accepted Tonraq’s promotion more if your thoughts and feelings were considered?” Tarrlok asked when Senna offered no response. 

“No,” answered Korra, still looking at her mother. “Because I never accepted it. The only thing I was capable of processing or understanding was that he was going to be away even more. When I voiced my oppositions to that, you shot me down.” She pointed at Senna. “You told me that he was making a difference in the city and how much he earned the position—that we should be thrilled for him. It made me think my feelings were wrong and that I wasn’t allowed to be anything other than happy. It wasn’t fair to me.” 

Senna stared back with an unflinching gaze, but Korra could tell she was digesting every word. After, she nodded and leaned forward, grasping Korra’s hand. “You’re right. It wasn’t fair and I’m sorry. We could’ve explained the situation better and asked for your thoughts. Your life was just as heavily affected as ours with his promotion, and we should’ve recognized that.”

Korra took Senna’s hand and gripped it back. She gave an apologetic look in return. If she sounded snappish just then, it was only due to her reclusiveness that triggered that immediate response. 

“Senna told me you guys have been working to repair your relationship for the past few months. Haven’t you, Senna?” Tarrlok asked after they had their moment. 

“We have,” Senna answered. She pulled back from Korra. “Ever since I went and visited her for a few days in New York.”

“And it was just you, right?” When Senna nodded, Tarrlok made a noise from the back of his throat. Instead of writing anything down on his notepad, he tapped his pen against his chin and looked at them all. 

“You guys had the chance to talk about everything that happened then?” 

“Well, it was a short trip. We were still getting used to being around each other again, but we had a breakthrough.”

“Tell me about it. What led to it?”

“It’s rather silly now that I think about it. I called Korra’s uncle and tried to set up a get-together—” 

“What?” Tonraq spoke for the first time in a while and turned to his wife. He looked perturbed. 

“It doesn’t matter. It didn’t end up happening anyway.” Senna fluttered her hand. “It was a dumb idea, and Korra got upset about it, so I canceled the whole thing.”

Tonraq continued to stare at her, his eyebrows pinching together, but then he eased off and looked away again. 

“But you two are in a much better place than before?” Tarrlok asked, pointing his pen between Senna and Korra. 

Senna nodded. “Definitely. We chat at least twice every week for 30 minutes. It’s taken some getting used to, but we’re doing great. Aren’t we?” Senna looked to Korra for confirmation. 

Korra cracked her first smile since this morning. “Yeah.”

“But before coming up here for this visit, you haven’t spoken to your father at all since you rekindled your relationship with your mother?” Tarrlok asked her.

And just like that, Korra grew stiff again. “No.” 

“How long has it been since your last interaction?”

Korra looked over at Tonraq, whose eyes remained downcast. 

“A long time.” 

“Do you remember that conversation?”

“No,” she said, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Senna stir. 

“Tonraq? What about you?” Tarrlok asked. 

Tonraq shook his head and offered a quiet, ‘no’ as well. 

“This entire family is very sharp,” Tarrlok commented after a lingering silence passed. “I know how much Tonraq and Senna appreciate directness in their sessions, so I’m going to do that now. Because I feel at this point that there’s still a lot here being left unsaid and not being said to each other.” He turned to Korra. “How about we get down to the meat of it all and I ask about Senna and Tonraq’s decision to send you away to live with your uncle?”

“What about it?” Korra folded her arms again and dug her fingernails into them. 

“How did it feel when they made that decision?” 

Korra looked over at Senna, who offered a smile and reassuring nod. “It’s okay. Don’t hold back,” she said. 

Sighing, Korra rubbed the back of her neck. “I felt like I was being punished for not obeying, which was all I’d ever been doing up until that point. I’d been told what to do and about what I couldn’t do. And the minute I did something they disagreed with I was treated like a criminal… Like I didn’t belong. _”_

“Have you always felt like an outsider to your family?”

“How could I not feel that way after getting sent away over a misunderstanding?”

“You’re talking about the incident where you tried to run away?”

“I didn’t _try_ to run away. We argued that night and I needed some air. A lot of kids do that when they feel like all of their actions have been misconstrued or like they’re misunderstood.”

“So the ‘lash outs’ in school that your father spoke about… You don't think they were a ploy to get your parents attention? Or maybe an act to push them further away because, as you said, you already felt like you didn't belong.”

“Tit for tat. They gave up on me, so I gave up on them. But a lot of those situations were blown out of proportion.” 

“You say that, but I’ve also noticed from what your parents told me that you have a history of violence. We’re not talking hair pulling either. They said you were almost expelled once for concussing a boy after slamming his face into a locker. Apparently he called you ‘little miss piggy.’”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Korra said, her eyes darkening.

“A lot if you can believe it. Especially if—and I’m assuming here—a good majority of those fights occurred after those kids would mention something about your father. Good or bad.”

"Kids didn't like me, and I didn't like them. That's it," Korra said with an edgy tone. “But also, teenagers have angry moments, especially when they’ve been so restrained in the matter that I was. I’m not saying that I didn’t deserve to be reprimanded for some things, but his measures were too extreme.”

“His?” Tarrlok questioned with a lifted brow. “So, you’re suggesting when it came to laying down the law or punishing you, it was more of your father’s doing?”

“I’m not ‘suggesting’ anything. Tonraq wanted me to spend the rest of my years as a minor in some camp to straighten me out. Then my mother reasoned with him and they opted to move me out of the country and into my uncle’s house instead.” 

“The uncle who you still have a lot of anger toward, given what Senna said.”

“There’s no anger. I already made my peace about him kicking me out and there’s nothing more for me to say to him. He’s a despicable person for what he did, and I can’t forgive it, so it’s best to forget.”

“He doesn’t register,” Tarrlok said, looking at Korra as if everything started coming together for him. Korra despised that.

“No, he doesn’t,” she said anyway.

Tarrlok wrote down a couple of things and cleared his throat. “Tonraq, you’ve been quiet. What are your thoughts?”

Korra looked at her father. He sat forward, his elbows on his knees. First, he looked at Senna, then to Tarrlok. But not at Korra.

“She’s entitled to her feelings,” he said. 

Korra rolled her eyes. 

“So, basically, you’re saying you don’t agree with me.”

“No, that’s not what I said.” Still, his eyes had yet to meet hers. 

“Well then, what else do you have to say? Mom’s made it clear to me that she regretted making that decision in the first place. Do you?” 

“Korra, just hold on…” Senna said.

“When we made that decision, we made it together. And we did it out of love and fear,” Tonraq said. “This wasn’t something that just happened overnight. It was 2 years of you walking around, pushing our buttons, and doing everything in your power to—” 

“To what?” Korra interrupted him, her voice rising a little as she sat forward. “Go ahead. Say it. Tell everyone how much me being your daughter was _so_ embarrassing to you. Because that’s all it ever comes back to, right? Your reputation.”

“That’s ludicrous,” Tonraq said. 

“No, what’s ludicrous is all the times Mom spent playing both of the parental roles while you were out patrolling the streets like some unsung hero. What’s ludicrous is all the times you chose work over your family and made us second to your vanity project—”

“Korra,” Senna said. 

“What’s ludicrous,” Korra continued, “is you inviting me all the way here for a conversation we have to have in front of a stranger. And on top of that, you not being able to look me in the eye while you hurl a bunch of nonsense and put the blame on me _again._ Is that all you wanted from this? Was there even a point, Tonraq?” 

Senna’s eyes became as wide as a bewildered moose’s, and Tonraq’s large body went rigid. Visible anger showed on his face, and part of Korra relished at being able to puncture through that thick layer of skin with her words. 

“Okay…,” Tarrlok said a minute later, once he thought the dust settled between them all. “Why don’t we—”

“You know what?” Tonraq interjected. “ _We_ sent you away because we thought it would teach you something. Humble you—” 

“I needed _compassion_ from you. Understanding,” Korra argued. “But you never attempted that, just like you never attempted to know me. I bet you can’t even name one thing I was interested in at the time. Go ahead, try to name something.”

“I don’t think this is getting us anywhere,” Senna said, holding her hand up at Korra and looking at Tarrlok to intervene.

“No, I want to hear it. Name something,” Korra dared. She waited for Tonraq to turn to her and ramble off a list, but he still didn’t move. “Yeah, I thought so. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out you stopped caring a long time ago. I just can’t believe I let myself think anything would’ve changed. After all, you wanted me gone. Once I was out of your hair, you didn’t have to think about me. Unless I was a good little girl that kept my mouth shut, I was just a distraction for you and what _really_ mattered.” 

Tonraq shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I wanted you to learn—” 

“I was there! I know what I saw, and I know what I _heard_. Don’t try to rewrite history right now and act like for a moment you cared about what I was going through. When Unalaq kicked me out, I never heard from you again. If you really cared about me, where were you then, huh?” 

Tonraq’s face turned to stone again at the moment Korra mentioned her uncle’s name, but he continued to stare across the room at the wall behind Tarrlok’s head. 

“As I said, you’re entitled to your own opinion—”

“ ** _Look_ at me!” **

Senna jumped with a gasp and both Tarrlok and Tonraq’s eyes widened at Korra’s outburst.

Korra’s chest heaved, her mouth parted as loud breaths came in and out. She figured she would’ve been just as surprised. Instead, she pushed her hair back behind her ears and then stood up. 

“This was a mistake. I’m done,” she announced and walked to the door. Her mother and even Tarrlok called out her name, but all she could hear was her father’s silence. 

* * *

Korra waited out by the car for 15 minutes before her parents walked out of the office building. Senna’s expression was grim while Tonraq’s held no recollection of what just happened. Back to business as usual in the face of the public. The ride home forced them into a thicker confined space, and Korra had to roll down the window just to breathe. She listened to the wind whipping in her ears rather than her parents’ solemn voices as they talked about dinner tonight. 

When they pulled up to the driveway, Korra made to get out first only to stop when Tonraq spoke. 

“Actually, I still have that council meeting later and some work to catch up on, so I probably won’t be back until later tonight,” he announced. 

“Are you sure?” Senna asked and looked around the car. “I think there are some things we should all talk about...”

“I think it would be best if we left it for now. Maybe later—”

Korra didn’t sit back to hear the rest of it. She opened the door and got out. Asami’s car sat there next to Senna’s and seeing it made Korra halt on the porch. She thought about how she would have to go into that house and explain what happened, and it irritated her even further. She chose to sit down on the steps and wait there instead.

Senna and Tonraq were still in the car exchanging words, and Korra saw the way her mother’s brows furrowed in frustration. When Tonraq touched her on the shoulder, she brushed it off and got out of the car. Tonraq pulled out of the driveway a minute later, not even bothering to look Korra’s way one last time. 

As Senna walked toward her, Korra noticed the look of irritation aimed at her. 

“You’re mad,” she said. 

“I’m not happy,” Senna said and sat down beside her. 

“With whom? Him or me?” 

“Both of you guys.” 

“He was the one who barely spoke the entire time. I was honest—”

“Were you?” Senna asked, looking over at her. “Because between you and him, I’m not sure there’s a difference.”

“What does that mean?” Korra asked, quickly growing defensive. 

“It means that you both have a hard time opening up about your feelings, and I understand that to an extent, but this family doesn’t benefit from anything when we keep quiet and hide things.”

“If I kept quiet in the first place, then I wouldn’t have to feel this level of invalidation.” 

“That’s not what that was.”

“Can you just be on my side here for once?” Korra asked. “How many times can you defend him?” 

“I’m not,” Senna’s voice raised, and she raked her fingers through the crown of her head, rustling her braid in the process. “All I’m saying is that it took me a while to admit to myself out loud how wrong our actions were, so I know it must be harder for a man as proud as your father. And no, that’s not an excuse, I know that. I’m just providing a reason.”

Korra folded her arms and shook her head. “You said that you guys have been in counseling for years now. How does it take that long to reach that epiphany? The counselor said you guys have had conversations about me, but from what I saw, it doesn’t seem like you got very far in them.” 

“Of course we did.” 

“What did you guys talk about? What did _he_ say?” 

Senna folded her fingers together and leaned her forehead against them. “Our sessions are mainly focused on our marriage and what we need to do to make sure we’re being the best we can be for each other. And then there are the sensitive topics.”

“And I categorize as one of them?”

“When Unalaq kicked you out and your father confessed that he lied… That really did take a long time to forgive him for, Korra,” Senna said, turning her head.

Korra stared back with weariness at that look and her chest fell.

“You’re talking to me about how Dad and I need to be honest. What about you?” 

“What?”

“I already asked before, but I’m asking you again: Am I the reason why you guys started counseling? Yes or no?” Korra asked. 

“No, that’s not… It was a lot of things.” 

“What _other_ things? You guys were always solid on everything. And who knows, maybe if you never had me in the first place, you still would be.” 

Senna’s head snapped in her direction. She looked furious. 

“Don’t you _ever_ insinuate anything like that again. How you could even _think_ something like that is…,” she trailed off and squeezed her eyes shut as if she were in pain. She drew out a frustrated sigh before putting her face in her hands. “The counseling was a bad idea. It’s my fault for pushing you both.”

Korra felt disoriented from the way her mother rushed off the topic and didn’t finish her rejection of Korra’s assumption. But seeing her distress made Korra soften, if only by a little. Although it still didn’t lessen her anger toward her father. 

“You’re still here,” Korra said. “You’re still here, and he’s not. So no, this isn’t on you.”

Senna wiped her face. “I just want us all to be okay. I hope your father comes back tonight more cooled off. And I’ll pray he doesn’t do anything rash.”

“Like what?” Korra asked. 

Senna sighed. “Nothing…”

Staring at her mother, Korra thought to point out her insistence on not staying quiet only a few minutes ago. But as her thoughts pulled together, they ended up brushing on a discovery.

“Which one is his favorite? Scotch? Bourbon? Hennessy? He’s more of a dark liquor kind of guy, always has been. But I doubt those craft beers are enough to hold him over. If I had to think about it, I guess his office was always the best place to let loose because he could control the environment and if people saw him or not.” Korra’s mouth went astray with her thoughts. “It’s weird thinking about the things you thought were so random or insignificant having so much more meaning when you get older.”

Senna turned to her finally in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

Korra exhaled sharply. “Look me in the eyes and tell me that he doesn’t show all of the signs of being an alcoholic.” 

Senna reared back and wore a disturbed look. “A-re you serious? No! Absolutely not!” 

“Ever since we arrived, I haven’t seen him take a sip of anything other than beer.” 

“This is insane.” Senna got up and put more distance between them. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” 

“You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed.”

“Noticed what? That he has long days sometimes? Yes, that’s true. Everyone has them, and sometimes favoring a drink is a perfect way to take the edge off. Even I have a couple after a long and brutal surgery. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“And how many times in the year has Dad come home from a stressful day drunk out of his mind? Every couple of days? Two days? Every 24 hours is my bet.” 

“Where the hell is this even coming from? Your father is not an alcoholic. I know that today didn’t go as planned, but jumping to those accusations is not helping. Your father is a respectable human being.” 

“Every human being has weaknesses.” 

“Why are you doing this?” 

“I’m not trying to be malicious, okay?” Korra looked up at Senna. “I’m just saying that it all makes sense now. The stressful job, coming home late, sometimes not at all. Out for hours with his head laid out on some unheard-of bar where he can go unnoticed. Because there’s gotta be that one place where he can let it out. It _makes sense_ now for me. I know where it comes from.” 

“Where _what_ comes from?” 

Korra released a shaky breath and stood up. When she found the courage, she met her mother’s gaze. “Addiction.”

Senna stared at her for a while with a stricken look, and then she violently shook her head. 

“You’ve got this entire situation so wrong. There are no addicts in this family,” Senna said, but her voice lacked confidence. She looked so angry and disgusted by Korra’s words. It was everything Korra feared, but she couldn’t turn back now.

“Maybe you want to believe that,” Korra said quietly. “Or maybe you never looked hard enough.” 

It took several seconds for her words to sink in, for Senna’s brow to smoothen out, and for that dawn of realization to strike her. 

“Korra…”

The front door opened. 

“Hey, you guys are back,” Asami said, walking out.

Korra’s gaze on her mother lasted a while longer before she turned around and faced Asami. She stood there with a clueless expression. 

“Yeah, we’re back,” Korra said. She walked up the porch and passed Asami on the way inside. “I’m gonna go take a nap.” 

Walking into the house, she felt Asami’s and Senna’s eyes on her. It never seemed so daunting to look back. 

**TBC…**


	7. A Creak in the Floorboard

Korra stirred when an arm slid around her waist. She opened her eyes and stared at the wall across from her. A breeze came through the now open window and she could hear the birds chirping away.

“Hey,” Asami spoke when she felt Korra shift. 

“Hi,” Korra said groggily. 

“Did I wake you?” 

“I wasn’t asleep anyway.”

“I just got done talking to your mom… She told me what happened.” Asami brushed Korra’s hair back behind her ear. Korra didn’t respond, but the tension in her body rose and Asami felt it. Caressing Korra’s arm, she whispered, “it’s okay. Sometimes counseling isn’t for everyone.” 

“Then what’s it going to take?” Korra asked, sitting up. “He didn’t admit to any wrongdoing, he didn’t say sorry… he couldn’t even look at me.” 

“But that doesn’t make any sense… I thought the whole point of him wanting to see you was to finally talk about everything that happened. That can’t be what he wanted.” 

“It’s simple. He expected more.” 

“Korra, no—”

“You can tell me that it’s not true, but I’ve seen this all before.” Korra looked over her shoulder but couldn’t meet Asami’s gaze. “I know what disappointment in his eyes looks like. Even at dinner our first night here, I felt it. I tried not to and told myself not to jump to that conclusion, but it was _such_ a familiar feeling. I can’t ignore it anymore.”

“What if he’s scared? Your mom said that sometimes, even in emotional situations, he’s not as straightforward as he should be with his feelings.”

“Yeah, I get that from him. Just like I get my stubbornness from him. He’s not going to change his mind about the person I was before. He and Mom would never understand what I went through, all the trauma, how scared _I_ was.” Korra’s voice shook and her fingers curled into the duvet.

She felt movement behind her and Asami’s hand pressed against the small of her back. 

“There’s so much about you that you keep locked away,” Asami whispered. “I understand why, which is why I never push you to talk about certain things in your past. But that wall you keep up to protect yourself is so tall. I know what you’ve gone through was hard, and I know you think you’re doing what’s best by not sharing it with me or your parents. But keeping it all bottled up like this…”

When Korra found her composure, she looked back at Asami. “My mom told you what I said, didn’t she?”

“She has questions, and I kind of gathered it all on my own.” 

“What did you tell her?”

“Nothing. It’s not my story to tell, and I don’t know everything myself… She should hear it from you when or if you’ll ever be ready. But… don’t assume she won’t understand, okay? She might even come to surprise you.”

“From what I did tell her… She looked so revolted and distraught. I don’t think I could handle her looking at me the same way he does.” 

“Looks can be deceiving. Maybe that distraught you saw was her thinking about every time she should’ve been there for you.” 

Korra sighed. She heard everything Asami said and wanted to believe her. And to Senna’s defense, she looked at things a lot more clearly than Tonraq ever did, even when she and Korra weren’t on the best of terms. 

She looked over at Asami again.

“This is getting overwhelming,” she admitted. 

“What can I do?” 

“Nothing… I don’t know… Can we talk about something else?”

“Sure.” Asami scooted down the bed and sat next to her. Korra reached for her hand and folded their fingers, then she laid her head down on her girlfriend’s warm shoulder.

“What have you been up to while we were gone?” she asked.

The breath Asami let out made her sound aggrieved. “Nothing. I stayed here. Tried to find some more incriminating photos of you, but I feel like you’ve hidden them away while I wasn’t looking.”

A tired laugh left Korra’s mouth. “I wouldn’t know the first place to look for those.” 

Asami used her other hand to rub up and down Korra’s arm. Despite wanting to change the subject, Korra couldn’t find anything else to talk about. She left a large part of herself on that front porch, exposed and bare. But also, she felt a little… distant? Thinking about how much Asami was rooting for her to make amends made her failure today hard to swallow. Right now, she wasn’t only failing herself. 

“Hey, you know what I was thinking?” Asami said after a few quiet moments passed. 

“What?”

“Aspen in the winter. You and me in a cabin under the stars in a hot tub. Us getting our first taste of Colorado and seeing if it’s a place we could settle down in.”

Korra smiled a little. “That sounds nice and toasty.” 

“Maybe instead of Montreal, we can have Christmas there this winter. It’s still a little far off, but I’d rather make anniversary plans now rather than later.” 

“This year’s going by so fast, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah. This time last year I was in a bar hearing your name said by some strangers.” 

“And this time last year I was… all over the place.” 

Asami gave her a sympathetic kiss on the forehead. “I wouldn’t have done any of it differently... Except maybe the Varrick thing.” 

Korra nodded. But as much as she wished she could say the same, she couldn’t. There were so many things she wished she could’ve done — made things easier for the both of them and let Asami in the first time. She would’ve changed a lot. But she didn’t have that power. All she had was the power to correct the things that she still had the opportunity to. She couldn’t let it slip away or run away as she so often did in the past. 

“It’s gonna be fine,” she reminded herself. 

Asami’s hand squeezed hers. 

“It _is_ gonna be fine.” 

* * *

A few hours later, Korra left the bedroom and wandered around the house in search of her mother. She found her outside in the front yard, tending to her plants. For a moment, Korra watched as Senna patted her hands against the soil, creating a sturdy mound. She did it with such care and patience. Plants were easy after all. Senna could make them into what she wanted without them questioning her or going astray. Korra wondered how different her life would be if buried in soil first. 

She made her footsteps loud as she approached. Senna turned to her while wiping her forehead with the back of her gloved hand. 

“Hi,” Korra said. 

Senna offered a small smile and turned back to the plants.

“It’s nice out,” she said.

“It is.” 

“I figured I’d better get started on getting these plants in the ground. There’s no telling what weather we’ll see in the next couple of weeks. Your father doesn’t know why I bother.”

“That sounds on-brand for him,” Korra criticized without thinking. She watched Senna sigh in and resume shoveling. “I’m sorry. It’s a reflex.”

“You don’t need to apologize. It’s how you feel.”

“Yeah, but I get the sense that what I feel isn’t appreciated.”

“Of course it is.” Senna dropped the shovel and looked up at her again. “I want you to say what’s on your mind without fear. You deserve it. You’re entitled to it as your father said.”

“No, that’s what _you_ said,” Korra said, sitting down beside a bedeviled-looking Senna. “Those words he said aren’t his. They’re yours. If he can’t say them and _mean_ them, then it’s lip service. He’s trying to make you happy.” 

“How do you know that? What if you’re reading things way differently than he is and you both need to _hear_ each other rather than make these baseless assumptions?”

“Mom—”

“Why did you lie in there?” Senna asked. 

“What?”

“You lied and said you don’t remember the very last conversation you had with him. I know that’s not true.” 

“He lied, too.” 

“Probably because you did first. The entire point of today was to open up and work through these issues that have driven us all apart.” 

“How am I supposed to relive that?” Korra snapped, looking back at her mother. “You really thought I’d walk into one counseling session and talk about a pivotal moment where my life went to crap? You think I want to talk about those words he said to me so long ago that cut me so deep? Those _same_ words that continue to make me have doubts about who I am and if I’m worthy of any sort of respect or love anyone gives me? You don’t know what that’s done to me. You don’t _know._ ”

Korra paused and took a deep breath, looking down.

“What you implied earlier then… It’s true?” Senna asked. “You think you’re an alcoholic?”

Korra pushed a hand through her hair. “It’s more complicated than that.” 

“How so? You’ve talked with a professional?” 

“No…”

“Then how can you know for sure? What if you’re wrong?” 

“I know I’m not wrong. I need you to trust me on that. I’m an addict.” 

Senna grew quiet and placed her shovel to the side. It took a while for her to speak again. 

“For how long?” she asked. 

“Since the beginning. I drank a lot in high school after I moved into Unalaq’s. First casually, then it got worse, and… well, you know what happened before he kicked me out.”

“Your uncle knew all along about this?” Senna asked. When Korra nodded, anger came into her tone. “Why didn’t he say anything?” 

“He always told me that the trouble I caused there would’ve made things here even worse if he told you guys… I guess he was right.” 

Senna’s eyes darted around as she took in the information, but when she looked at Korra again, her expression changed into a concerned one. 

“Are you getting help? Any sort of treatment or rehab?” 

“I’m dealing with it my way.” 

“How?”

“I… I can’t tell you,” Korra looked down and shook her head. 

“You’re not allowed to do that. You can’t tell me something like this and then withhold other information.”

“I don’t mean to…”

“Then why do you? Are you afraid of judgement? That I’ll be upset?” Senna turned and brushed a tendril of hair away from Korra’s cheek. When Korra didn’t reply, she let out a sigh and spoke in a quieter tone. “You still resent me, don’t you?”

“What?” Korra looked at her in surprise.

“It’s okay if you do. There’s a lot left uncovered, and I wasn’t expecting my visit to New York to erase any of the pain I’ve caused you.” 

“No… it’s not that.”

Korra kept her eyes lowered, her lips pressed together. This moment was as good as any. It could’ve provided as much cathartic release as the last time she and her mother sat together like this. But the words… they stuck to Korra’s tongue and hot glued her lips together. She begged herself to let go of that fear. The tightness in her throat loosened only by a smidge. 

“The person I am now, and who you see me as… I’ve only recently become this person. If you saw who I was last year and the past several years, you wouldn’t recognize me. I don’t even know who that person was, so I’d rather not go into the details. And I’m sorry I can’t say more because I know how much you’re trying… But if I go down that road with you, I’m scared it’s going to ruin what we have now. I hope you can respect that one day.” 

She prepared to get up, but Senna grabbed her by the wrist. When Korra looked at her, she noticed her mother had her eyes on the ground now too.

“You and your father have that in common, you know?” she said. “There’s always going to be a part of you that’s locked away for safekeeping, or maybe even for other’s safety. That’s all it ever felt like with Tonraq when we left the village. Remember when I told you that he didn’t even want me to come with him in the first place?” When Korra nodded, Senna chuckled. “He knew what I was giving up, and I knew if I didn’t go with him, I was going to miss out on something special. In the process, I fell in love, we found ourselves as individuals… We had you. But early in our relationship, I realized that even though I knew him best, there were a few things he would keep to himself because he felt he needed to.” Senna turned back to her plants and gave one a delicate caress. Her shoulders dropped as she sighed. 

“Are you upset with me?” Korra asked, her insecurities flaring. 

“No. I get it, I do.” Senna looked over at her, and for a moment, she appeared verklempt. “If anything, it makes me sad. Because you carry a weight with these secrets you keep, which must be so lonely. And I’ve left you alone for way too long already.” 

“Mom,” Korra’s voice wavered, and she looked away to wipe her face. “I’m sorry about before. I was out of line.”

“But you believe what you said about your father, don’t you?” Senna asked. 

“I don’t know him the way you do. But it would confirm a lot of things for me if it were true.” 

Senna nodded, and this time she kept her expression relaxed. 

“He loves his job. It’s something he’s always been proud of because he had so many odds stacked against him and people telling him he couldn’t do it. And yeah, it’s stressful and he may have an extra drink or two, but I think that’s life, you know? At least with what he does every day.”

“You believe that?” Korra asked, keeping her tone neutral. 

Senna nodded. “I do.”

It wasn’t Korra’s place to argue or think she knew better than her mother who’d been with Tonraq for over three decades now. But wouldn’t that in itself make Senna prone to bias—to only seeing what she wanted to see?

Korra could take her personal feelings out of it. She caught all of the small things, the drinks, the slight stagger in her father’s footsteps as he made his way in the house the night before. And it made her wonder more about the times when she’d still been with them that she hadn’t noticed it. 

It was also quite possible that _she_ had the bias and was looking for an explanation. Something else to blame Tonraq for regarding her mental depletion. 

She arose from her thoughts when she felt Senna’s palm against her cheek. Looking up, she met her mother’s eyes. 

“My sweet girl,” Senna spoke softly. “Whatever you’ve gone through in your life, I want you to know that I’m always here to listen. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be waiting. And if you’re never ready, I’m still going to be here. I don’t think I could take it if I lost you again.”

Korra grabbed Senna’s hand. Her heart squeezed as a violent shudder left her. 

“Thank you… I love you, Mom,” she said. 

“I love you too, sweetheart.” 

* * *

Korra woke up the next morning at the crack of dawn. She went down to the kitchen and opened the fridge, but then she heard a loud cracking noise come from the back of the house and became curious. Walking over to the backdoor, she peeled back the curtains and looked out the window.

Tonraq stood out there, ax in hand, and slicing through a thick stump of wood. Afterward, he picked up the divided pieces and threw them into the small pile nearby. 

Korra watched for a while, intrigued to see her father unguarded. His posture relaxed for a moment, then his back bunched in his long-sleeved shirt as he raised the ax again. He sliced the air and cracked through the wood in one swift swing. Korra wondered what was going through his mind. She hadn’t seen him since yesterday afternoon. He didn’t return home for dinner, and by the time Korra heard him come in, it was late in the night. 

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked outside. Although it was light out, the sun still hadn’t risen. With only a flannel and some night pants on, Korra shivered. As she approached her father, she straightened her spine. The cold became a distant thought. 

He heard her approach and turned around. For a brief second, his eyes shifted away but then met hers again in an instant. 

“Sorry, did I wake you?” he asked. 

“No,” Korra said. She looked over at the pile of wood again. “Did Mom assign you early morning chores before you head into work?”

“No…” He looked down at his ax, weighing it in his hands. “It’s kind of a stress-reliever for me before I head out and when I come back.” 

“A stress-reliever before the stress, huh?” Korra said. Then she held out her hand, gesturing toward the ax. “Can I give it a try?”

Tonraq’s brow raised, then he looked down at Korra’s awaiting hand. After that brief pause, he nodded and turned the handle of the ax downward before handing it over. 

When Korra took it, she analyzed the sharpness of the bit and the shiny steel of the cheek. It weighed more than she thought it would, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. 

Tonraq placed a new piece of wood on top of the stump and then stepped out of the way to put a safe distance between them. Korra fixed her hands on the handle along with her stance. She took a moment to eye the log before raising the ax and swinging it downward in a fast, effortless motion. She hit the log dead on. 

“Wow, nice,” Tonraq said in genuine surprise as the two pieces separated and fell on either side of the flitch. “You didn’t even hesitate.” 

Korra shrugged and handed over the ax, then she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her night pants. “I learned from watching you a long time ago. If you weren’t at the office, you were always out here. Now I know why.” 

“I never thought you paid attention to it,” Tonraq admitted. 

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” 

Tonraq looked down and brushed the hair out of his face. “I suppose you’re right.”

Korra folded her arms and waited for something to happen. When nothing came, she backed away, regretting coming out there to start with. “Anyway, it’s cold. I’m gonna head back inside.” 

“Wait,” Tonraq said as Korra turned away. 

Korra stopped, waited for a second, and looked over her shoulder. Tonraq was staring at her. 

“What happened yesterday… That’s not what I wanted.”

“I’m not looking for an apology,” Korra said. 

“You’re not?” 

“No. Because even if what either of us said was below the belt, at least we got it out there in the open. I don’t wanna tip-toe around things anymore. I’ve done enough of that in my life.” 

Tonraq breathed out and nodded. He didn’t speak for a few seconds, but when a thought seemed to come to him, he looked at her. “Sometimes after work, I like to go fishing,” he said. “If you’re willing, I’d like you to join me. We should talk finally… Really talk.”

 _Finally_ was right. 

“Yeah… I’d like that.”

“I’ll try to get off work a few hours early, and then I can come pick you up at around 3?” 

“Unless duty calls, right?” Korra said. She would’ve been a fool to not show a bit of skepticism. 

Tonraq didn’t turn hostile at her comment. Surprisingly, he provided her with a look of understanding for once. Even he knew how much Korra believed in him time and time again in the past only to be let down. 

“I’m sure my officers can handle anything that comes up without me,” he said. 

Korra stared, trying to determine his honesty in his posture and facial expression. For a second, she wondered if Senna put him up to it. But she saw no ulterior motive of the sort in his eyes, only awkwardness with a mix of… nervousness? That was new. 

“I’ll see you at 3 then,” she confirmed. Tonraq nodded at her, and then she took that as her cue to walk away before either of them changed their minds. When she got inside the house and closed the door behind her, a smile managed to work its way on her mouth. No, she wasn’t a fool, but she couldn’t help but yearn to be in the shoes of an all-believing one. 

* * *

“Wait, so he’s taking you on a fishing trip all alone? By yourselves?” Asami asked. “Do you even fish?”

“That’s what he wants to do. He said it’s about time we talked finally.” 

They were sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast. It was just the two of them there at the house. Tonraq left for work a few hours ago, and Senna said she needed to check in on a couple of post-up surgeries at the clinic. 

“That’s great. This could be exactly what the both of you need.”

“That’s what I thought the family counseling would be for,” Korra said. 

“It could be that you guys jumped too quick with that. Sometimes, all it takes is a proper, honest and _real_ conversation. You and your dad never had that. At least, not alone. It looks like he wants to do that now, which I know has been a long time coming, but it could be a start.”

Korra sighed and put her fist onto her cheek. She used her other hand to point between them. “Pessimism. Optimism.” 

Asami smiled. “I don’t know. What I’m sensing from you right now isn’t pessimism.” 

“Are you sure about that?” Korra said with a nervous laugh.

“Hey, you’ve already come this far, right? I can see that little bit of hope right there.” Asami pointed between Korra’s eyes. “You need to keep ahold of it, no matter how small it is.”

Grabbing Asami’s hand, Korra kissed the inside of her wrist. A bundle of nerves started in the pit of her stomach until it became a tidal pool. Though, maybe it wasn’t that foreboding feeling she thought it was in the very beginning. Maybe it was this hope Asami saw, and that Korra needed to accept it and give in. She made a lot of peace in the past year. The one last critical component to free her from her complicated past remained on the horizon like an unscalable mountain. This marked her final opportunity to achieve the impossible. 

* * *

For a good chunk of the day, Asami dragged Korra along with her in the mall to do some early Christmas shopping for their friends. She knew she needed to distract Korra with something so that she wasn’t staring down at the clock every minute. It worked up until the final hour when they got back home. Senna returned and they hung around the house chatting and hanging up fall and Halloween decorations. Korra tried to hide her anxiety, but Asami could tell how nervous she was if the constant bouncing of her leg and attempts at biting her nails (Asami stopped her each time before she ruined her fresh manicure) were any sign. 

To Asami’s great joy, and Korra’s relief, Tonraq arrived at 3 on the dot. After a brief interaction and then going upstairs to change, he and Korra left the house. Asami found herself exhaling deeply once the door shut behind them, but it didn’t compare to the one Senna let out. When Korra told her about Tonraq’s suggested bonding time, Senna’s eyes lit up and a smile stretched across her face. Korra had to remind her that it was only for a few hours, but that still didn’t detract from the level of happiness Senna conveyed. But now she was in the same waiting period that Asami once again found herself in. But at least they were together. 

Rather than say what they both were thinking or express nerves and concerns, Senna decided to give Asami a cooking lesson. They were currently in the kitchen working on a potato-soup recipe that was another one of Korra’s favorites. It wasn’t a hard dish in the slightest, so Asami felt comfortable when Senna backed off and let Asami take over. She stood off to the side and gave verbal instructions, which helped lessen Asami’s fear of burning down the newly refurbished kitchen. Once that wariness went away, she got into the swing of it, humming along to a song Senna played from her phone while cutting up vegetables. Asami never thought she could have this much fun in a kitchen before outside of watching Korra. 

“I’m beginning to think I’ve been duped,” said Senna in amusement. “You seem perfectly capable of making a fine meal by yourself.” 

Asami laughed. “Trust me, if you weren’t hovering right now, the kitchen would be covered in smoke, if not fire. The only things I know are from watching other people cook for me.”

“What about when you were a kid? Did your mother cook?” 

“No, not much.” A sad smile formed on Asami’s lips. “I mean, she tried, but she was so sick by the time I was old enough. It took a lot out of her on some days to even stand up.” 

“I’m so sorry. That couldn’t have been easy for you to see when you were so young.” 

“No, it wasn’t. But I know how much harder it was for her to be the one going through so much pain. As much as it hurt, her being able to find peace made the loss a little easier.” 

Senna’s face turned soft. “You’re truly a remarkable person going through everything you have. I think she would’ve loved to teach you everything if she could’ve.” She put a hand on Asami’s back and rubbed it. 

Asami nodded and looked at Senna with gratitude. There was no replacing Yasuko Sato ever, not even when Hiroshi tried his best to erase her from both their minds in a way to “move on.” But with the recent thoughts Asami had lately, she was looking forward to the invitation into Senna’s arms as a permanent member of Korra’s small family. 

Their brief moment ended when Asami received a text. Reaching for her phone, she read the message and grinned.

“Speaking of mothers, my friend Opal is getting the hang of it rather quickly,” she said, showing Senna the professional photo Opal shared of her and Xia smiling. Opal looked at the camera while Xia’s eyes were closed as she slept. 

“That’s so precious.” Senna took the phone and smiled at the photo. “She’s going to look adorable in that polar bear romper you bought for her.”

“She’s too small for it now, but hopefully she fits into it around Christmas time.”

“I’m sure all of your many friends will appreciate your generosity this season. You seem like you’re all set.”

“Yeah, I managed to get almost everything while I was here.” Asami looked down at her bracelet and frowned. 

“Almost everything?” Senna asked, sensing her melancholy. 

Asami sighed. “I was hoping to get something made for Korra at this place she told me about. That one owned by that family friend of yours, Mr. Akerolik.”

“Oh…” Senna looked down in sadness. “Yes, he was a very good man on top of being a good craftsman.”

“He made the stones on this.” Asami held out her wrist and showed Senna the bracelet. “Korra gave it to me on my 18th birthday.” 

Senna examined the piece of jewelry and smiled with pride. “Still in mint condition. Nothing less of what I’d expect of Sam’s work. I didn’t know Korra remembered these symbols. I taught them to her when she was so young.” 

“I'm sure there’s a lot more she still remembers.” 

Senna looked up at Asami with an expression of intrigue, then excitement. “And this jewelry you were going to have made for her… would it have been a bracelet like this too, or something else?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I wanted to have a look around the store before deciding on what to get her. Korra’s not much of a flashy person.” 

“What if I told you I had the perfect gift?” Senna asked. 

Asami’s brow line creased and she gave a confused but happy grin. “Really? What is it?”

“Come on. I’ll show you.”

Senna turned the stove down to simmer before grabbing Asami’s hand and leading her out of the kitchen. They giggled as they went up the stairs and down the hallway to Senna and Tonraq’s room. When they entered, Senna let go of Asami’s hand and walked over to the closet. Asami looked around the room as she waited. She liked the several art pieces displayed on the walls, the walnut floors, and the patterns on the white sheets of the queen-sized bed. It was nice getting to see both Tonraq and Senna’s personalities entwined. Although, it could’ve just been Senna’s touch everywhere. 

Senna let out a small curse after a couple of things fell off the top shelf. Asami walked over. 

“Need some help?” 

“Nope, stay right there and I'll—Ah-ha! Found it!” Senna came down from her tiptoes and turned around with a handmade-looking brown box. Instead of going over to the bed, Senna plopped herself down on the floor right there. “This was one of the only things I took with me when I left Nunavut with Tonraq. It was my great grandmother’s old jewelry box.”

“It’s very pretty,” Asami complimented. Her curiosity forced her down to the ground as well. She watched Senna open the box, and her eyes widened at the sight of old photos and many tchotchkes. 

Senna pulled out the photos and looked down at them with a smile. She shuffled through them for a second and then passed them over to Asami. “I remember receiving a Polaroid for Christmas one year. My father was one of the ‘community leaders’ as you’d call them today and had a couple of connections to some people in Iqaluit. They would come through every few months with some supplies. I had to be very careful with how much film I used because of that."

Asami sifted through the photos of Senna, mainly with two other girls. “Your sisters?”

Senna nodded and pointed. “Nanouk and Amka. An uncanny resemblance, don’t you think?”

“Do you miss them?” 

“Every day. But we’re all happy where we are now. They have nice families with men they grew up with in the village, and I chose to go on a different path.”

Asami smiled as she reached the last photo, which happened to be the only one of Senna and Tonraq. They were bundled up together by a fire. Tonraq’s soft expression and the happiness in his eyes struck Asami. He looked so young and content with where they were despite never wanting to be there in the first place.

Senna scooped the rest of the contents out of the box and reached inside it. She pulled on a tiny red string at the bottom of it and lifted the wooden frame. Asami watched her dig around in it until she pulled out a single artifact. It was a necklace—a pendant. When Senna lifted it, she held it against the line of light that pierced through the curtains. It was a copper-wire chain with a bluish-green labradorite crystal lodged in the middle of it. Asami marveled at its shine and iridescence. 

“This was my great-great-grandmother Elisapie’s,” Senna said with a smile and let Asami hold it. There was an unexpected, cool heaviness to it. “Her husband, Silla, gifted it to her. It was during one of the most brutal winters Nunavut saw yet. The village hadn’t seen much game in months, and families were starving. He and a few other men were tasked to venture outside of the typical areas they were used to and bring back whatever they could find. It was a survivor’s quest. Back then, there was this mindset that if you couldn’t bring back food, you weren’t strong enough to be part of the village. You either came back with it, or you didn’t come back at all. Silla knew that he could do it, but that wasn’t enough to ease Elisapie’s concerns. So, he traded one of his hand-crafted bows for some copper ores mined from the Coppermine River to make the chain. He discovered the crystal on Baffin Island and held on to it for years until he found the greater purpose it would eventually serve. He told Elisapie that he crafted it with his whole heart, and that as long as she held onto it while he was away, the rest of him would return to her safely. And he did. Every single time after that as well.”

The pad of Asami’s fingers traced over the stone, inspecting the sky-blue specs inside it that shone against that string ray of sunlight pouring in. 

“It’s beautiful,” she said, sounding breathless.

“It was a tradition in our family that this necklace be passed down to the future ‘man of the house’ so that he could give it to the eldest daughter as a sign of proposal. When my mother got ahold of it, she said she didn’t care for the tradition and would give it to whichever daughter asked for it. None of the girls in my family are exactly traditional, so we didn’t care. Then, before I left with Tonraq, my sisters snuck it into this box. I didn’t find it until years later. It created a whole new meaning of love behind the necklace.” 

Asami smiled at the heartwarming story. “That’s so sweet.”

“I never wore it, but I always kept it safe with me. When I showed it to Korra and told her the story, her eyes _sparkled._ So, I figured I’d pass it down to her whether it be on the day she went off to college, finally moved out, or to a future husband. But this… This is so much better than I ever could’ve imagined.” 

Asami’s head lifted so fast that her equilibrium fell off balance. 

“I-I don’t think I could give her something like this.” 

“Of course you can. It’s already hers.” Senna smiled and patted Asami on the leg. 

“Yeah, I know. It’s just that it’s…”

“You don’t think she’ll like it? I guess you would know better than me about her taste these days.” 

“No, not that.” Asami sighed and dropped her shoulders. “It’s that if I give her something like this, I fear that the first thing she’s going to think is that I’m asking her for something she’s not ready for, and then she’ll get scared.” 

“Have you guys talked about marriage? Did she tell you she wasn’t ready?” Senna asked. 

“Well, we’re still not even at the first-anniversary stage yet…”

“So? When you know, you know. And I see the way she looks at you, how she wants to protect you. It reminds me of the way Tonraq looks at me.” 

Asami’s eyes lowered, her heart racing and a blush creeping up her cheeks. She knew the exact look Senna was referring to, which didn’t make it any easier for Asami to restrain herself.

“There’s still a lot of things she’s figuring out with herself, and something like that would add to her stress right now. Commitments were never her thing until we got together, so I can picture her being a little frightened. Not because she’s scared of being with me long-term or anything, but because she’s scared of herself and not being enough. I tell her she’s wrong all the time, but she’s stubborn, you know? And I want to respect her wishes.” 

“What about you? Do you think you’re ready to marry my daughter?” Senna asked, her tone serious. 

Asami’s cheeks darkened even more, but she smiled, nonetheless. 

“I would marry her right now if she would let me,” she said. 

Senna reached over to clasp Asami’s hand in hers. Then she closed Asami’s fist over the necklace. 

“When you think she’s ready to have it, give it to her. It’s more of a keepsake than anything. My advice is to think about what it would mean for you both rather than the implications already behind it. Maybe that could be a new tradition: passing it along to that special person and finding a new meaning. But, as I said, I think Korra’s more ready than she’s giving herself credit for. Or it could be that I’m being selfish.” 

Asami looked up at her. “Selfish? How?”

This time, Senna seemed embarrassed. She said nothing for several seconds, but then she looked Asami straight in the eye. 

“Because from the second I got to know you and I saw how good you are to her, I knew I wanted to be able to call you my daughter someday.”

Asami’s throat tightened. And before she knew it, there were tears in her eyes. But she didn’t bother to wipe them away. That would’ve signaled shame, and how could she possibly gather that in a moment she’d been hoping for upon arrival?

“I would like that someday too,” she said in a wobbly voice. 

Senna got on her knees and pulled Asami in for a strong hug. 

“Oh, who am I kidding? You might as well be right now.”

* * *

The last time Korra went out on the river with her father, she wasn’t even a teenager yet. Ever since Tonraq deemed her old enough to join him on his fishing trips, he would take her out on the St. Lawrence River on the weekends. They would spend hours there together surrounded by muskellunge, crappies, trout, and whatever other sea creatures crept down below. Senna didn’t like fishing as much as she loved using a bow and arrow back in the day, so she never joined them. At the time, Korra didn’t mind because it gave her that rare quality time she got to spend with her father. But now Senna’s presence was sorely missed. 

She played the mediator between them those last two years before Korra ran away. Being without her now made Korra more cautious about everything she did, how she behaved, and even the sound of her voice. 

“Need help?” Tonraq asked. 

Korra looked over at him from across the boat. He sat up straight in his chair, gripping his fishing pole as he extended it out toward the river. In the past hour, he’d already caught three while Korra was still trying to get at least one. 

“I got it,” she spoke quietly as she messed around with the bait on the hook. Once it looked right, she threw the line out into the water. 

It was a nice evening out for fishing. She only needed a sweater, and the life jacket she wore over it made her warmer. Sunset neared, and she mourned the loss of longer days of sunlight and warm nights. 

“I guess being in New York means you haven’t been able to do things like this as much as you used to,” Tonraq said. 

“Is that your polite way of telling me that I’ve gotten even suckier at this?” Korra asked. 

Tonraq released a chuckle and shook his head. “It wasn’t that you were bad at it. You just didn’t have enough patience. The prey can smell an irritated catcher from miles away.”

Korra snorted and looked out at the still water. There weren’t any boats nearby, and that stillness between them seemed as engulfing as the steep waters below. But she remained calm. Her father seemed calm as well. Though, at this point, the fish were having more of an interaction with him than Korra so far. Korra didn’t feel pity for them, though. They never experienced his harsh words that were way more assaulting than a fishing hook. 

“Remember the last time I took you here?” Tonraq asked. “You were about 11, and you got so frustrated that you threw the fishing pole into the river. I remember you screaming, ‘I hate this, Dad!’ And so ended our monthly fishing trips.” 

“I remember,” Korra said. Those days her stubbornness outweighed any other personality trait. She was so quick-tempered whenever she couldn’t do something right. But the more she thought about it, the same key factor connected those moments in a single straight thread. “It was because you would get upset first. If I didn’t pick up on something as quickly as you wanted me to, you would get frustrated. Then I would get flustered, and we’d both throw in the towel.”

“Are you saying I put too much pressure on you?” Tonraq asked. 

“Yes. You were pushy and impatient, and you called me a quitter.”

“I never called you anything like that.”

“It was written all over your face.”

“You’re jumping to conclusions.” 

“Oh, you mean like you did with me yesterday? Or how about my whole life?” 

Tonraq went quiet and played with his reel. 

“You never wanted to push yourself,” he explained. “The only reason I got frustrated was because I hated watching you give up.”

“Yeah, but that was _because_ of you,” Korra emphasized and then fluttered her hand. “You wouldn’t understand, I guess.” 

“How do you figure that?” 

“You’re seen as a city hero to most people, and the only reason why they thought I was special or couldn’t stand me was because you were my father. You don’t know what that does to a kid. So, yeah, if I didn’t exactly pick up on a thing or two while under your watchful gaze, it was easier for me to give up than face your ridicule.” 

“You’re wrong.” Tonraq shook his head. Korra looked his way, prepared to argue, but then she saw his expression. “You think I’ve never been a teenager before? I know exactly what you’re talking about. My father was hard on me too, but he had to be because of where we grew up. But I was as full of resentment as you were at that age. That mixed with anger almost cost a person their life.” 

“If you know how it feels, then why did you always act like it was so hard for you to understand me?” Korra asked, looking at him. 

“It wasn’t that it was hard for me. But I thought that when you got older you would’ve appreciated us more despite how unfair you thought we were being.”

“But I didn’t.” 

“No, you didn’t,” Tonraq agreed. “I started seeing a lot of myself in you, and that… it scared me. It’s something I always feared even before you were born. To have all of that unexplained anger is dangerous.”

“But it wasn’t unexplained. You still don’t get it.” Korra blew air out of her mouth, but she still kept her patience. “You guys sheltered me and kept me on a tight leash. You didn’t want me to grow up and make the same mistakes you did, and for that I understand. But giving me no room for error is where you lost me. You can say your job had nothing to do with it, but it did. So many people admire you, respect you, and rely on you. And you gave so much back to them. But by the time you came home, you never had enough left to give back to me. You didn’t try.”

“I did try, but…” Tonraq pushed his hair out of his face. “Being absent from your life wasn’t what I planned. I thought I could have it all: the wife, the job, the house, the kids. I wanted a lot... but life had other plans, and I’ve made choices that I can’t undo.” 

Korra hesitated. 

“If I asked you again if you regretted sending me away like Mom does, would I get an answer I don’t like?” 

Tonraq closed his eyes and exhaled. It was one of restlessness, but also apprehension.

“I’ve said things to you in the past that I know weren’t the best choice of words, and I know how much I’ve hurt you. So, I don’t expect you to believe me or forgive me. At least not as soon as you’ve done with your mother. There’s a lot of things I haven’t taken responsibility for, and because of that…” he paused, and it took him a second to finally look Korra’s way. “It’s my fault. All of it.” 

He lowered his eyes. Korra opened her mouth to respond, but like most times with her father, she lost her words. She wanted him taking responsibility to mean that was the end of it. That they could now move forward. But something still tugged at her. She had more questions that demanded answers. 

Before she could say anything, her fishing rod jerked. Because she’d forgotten about it, it sat idle between her thighs, so she had to grasp on to it fast before it went hurling overboard. Whatever she caught was heavy and forceful. It easily pulled her to her feet. 

“Shit,” she cursed under her breath, then she tried reeling the handle back. “It’s stuck.”

“Relax. Don’t force it,” Tonraq instructed and stood up. “Let the drag and rod do most of the work. Once you feel less of a take, then start reeling. Point skyward.” 

“There’s too much bend,” Korra said.

“It’ll be fine for how much I paid for it, trust me,” Tonraq said with a light chuckle. “Just keep it steady.”

A harsher jerk followed her father’s comment. Korra stumbled forward a bit, but then Tonraq’s hands fell on top of her shoulders, keeping her planted there. Her catch continued to spasm down below for another 10 seconds, but then it began to tire.

“There it is. Now reel,” Tonraq said. 

Korra did as told, and the handle sped along with her hand much easier than the first time. There was still a struggle, but she felt more confident that she could handle it. Eventually, the fish broke through the surface. 

Tonraq whistled and gave her a pat on the back. “Congratulations. That’s the largest bass I’ve seen this year.”

Korra stared, perplexed by her long-awaited victory, and on top of that her father’s praise. Ironically at a time where she didn’t try at all. 

She laughed. It started as sarcastic, but it crescendoed as it turned into a more delighted one that rose from her belly. Turning, she looked back at Tonraq, and through her haze, she saw him letting out a laugh of his own. 

The quiet stillness from before washed away with the flowing current. And even through her laughter, Korra was able to breathe for the first time around her father. She hadn’t heard the sound of his true laugh in a long time, but it brought her back to simpler, happier times. It never seemed so freeing. 

They decided to call it quits shortly after and packed everything up. Then Tonraq piloted the boat back to the dock. The ride didn’t take long, but the closer they got to land, Korra felt that pit in her stomach from earlier come back. Tonraq’s soft smile withered away, and she tried her best to whisk that image out of her mind. Because the minute she acknowledged it, things would go right back to complicated. For a little while longer, she wanted to stay in that illusion of normalcy with her father that she never got to have. 

When they made it back to the dock, Korra got out first and removed her vest. She waited for Tonraq to secure the ropes on the post to keep the boat from drifting away. When he finished, they fell into step beside each other and walked toward the weighing station where the owner of the port stood.

“Catch any good ones, chief?” he asked. 

“We did. My daughter here did. You remember Korra, don’t you, Quill?” 

The man named Quill glanced at Korra and did a doubletake. “Oh, wow! Look at you! You’ve gotten so big.”

Korra rubbed the back of her neck. “Yeah, hi.” 

“It’s been so long. How have you been?”

“Fine…”

Quill laughed. “You and your father still have those monosyllabic responses in common, I see. But that’s all right.” 

“We can’t all run our mouths like you,” Tonraq teased as he set his fish bucket down. “Now come get a sight of this.” 

Quill walked over and whistled.

“Pretty,” he said, then repeated Tonraq’s earlier sentiments. “That’s probably the biggest bass I’ve seen this whole year. He must’ve given you a whirl.”

“Only a little, but Korra was stronger.” Tonraq looked over at Korra with a smile, and Korra smiled back, though it wasn’t steady. 

They went over to the weighing machine and Korra watched Tonraq place her catch on top of it. 

“11.4 pounds,” Quill said. “You guys will have enough dinner to last you for the rest of the week.”

“Senna would kill me if I brought this home,” Tonraq said with a chuckle. “Mind taking it off my hands?”

Quill laughed as well. “Sure thing. I’ll trade it up at the market. But do you guys want a photo for the hall of fame first?” He pointed over to his station. The back wall had a section marked off for photos of the “biggest catches of the year.”

“Uh.” Tonraq looked over at Korra to get a glimpse of her reaction before turning back. “Yeah, sure.” 

Quill went back to his station and then came back with a film camera. Before taking the photo, Tonraq offered the bass to Korra. “You should hold it. It’s your catch after all.” 

He put it into her hands and made sure it wouldn’t slip. After that, he turned back and faced the camera, stuffing his hands in his pockets. 

“Don’t be shy. Get close now,” Quill said, motioning with his hand while using the other to keep the camera in place. 

Korra and Tonraq shared a glance, neither of them sure of what to do. But then Tonraq took one of his hands out of his pockets and wrapped it around Korra’s shoulders. Korra looked at the camera, hoping she didn’t look as agape as the bass. When Quill told them to smile, she did so with a closed mouth. Something about her father’s posture made her stiff, and then their previous discussion came back to mind. 

Quill took two photos: one for the wall and one for them to take home as a memento. Tonraq pulled away from Korra and walked up to Quill after that. They shook hands, and Tonraq accepted the photo, but then they started chatting. Korra waited for a few minutes, but they started discussing police reports about drunken teens coming out there at night. She decided to go wait out by the car instead. 

She walked off the dock and headed to the parking lot where few cars were left. As the night approached, it became chillier. She zipped up her jacket and leaned against the passenger door. Being alone now, she couldn’t keep up that momentary wall of blissful unawareness. The more she thought about her father’s confession, the more it wasn’t enough. A looming question stood there with her. A ghost of her sheltered past that her father thought he was protecting.

She heard his footsteps as he approached. Louder and heavier with every step. She waited for another sound. A creak in the floorboard. 

“Sorry about that,” Tonraq apologized. “Once Quill gets going, it’s hard for him to stop. Especially on a slow day like today.” He spoke without caution as he opened the trunk and put the bucket and fishing rods inside. When he shut the trunk, Korra blinked and turned as he came up to her. She watched as he stretched out his hand, offering the square instant film. 

Korra took it and stared down at the photo. She examined their faces, one hard and the other soft, their similar eyes, round noses, and unique statures. The moment happened a few minutes ago, but Korra could feel it drifting away as an unanchored boat would. 

She looked up from the photo at Tonraq. 

“There’s something you aren’t telling me,” she said.

Tonraq shifted, his eyes still watching her face for a while longer until he broke contact first. 

“Korra—” his voice sounded like he wanted to deny it, but Korra stopped him.

“Why am I here?” she asked. “Mom said it was your idea to have me visit, but it hasn’t felt like that. Why has it taken up until _now_ for you to say any of this to me? Was this all really Mom’s idea?”

Tonraq shook his head. “No, it was mine. I wanted you here.” 

“Why?”

“Because I… I’ve known that I’ve owed you this for a long time now.” Tonraq couldn’t meet her eyes anymore. 

“When you said that this was ‘all of your fault,’ what did that mean?” she asked. Tonraq didn’t look surprised by the question, but he wasn’t the slightest bit prepared either. Korra decided to force his hand. “You asked me to come out here with you because we needed to talk, not catch some stupid fish. Whatever you have to say, you need to say it now before I leave. Because if this is all there is to it, I don’t know if there’s anywhere else to go with us.” 

Tonraq sighed and looked down. At the same time, Korra stopped breathing. 

“I want what you and your mom want—to start over with a clean slate and finally move on from what happened. But to do that, there’s something I should’ve owned up to a long time ago. I’ve been wanting to say it, but at every opportunity that came, I froze.”

“Just tell me,” Korra said. 

Tonraq brushed the hair out of his face. When he met Korra’s eyes again, she saw shame and guilt. 

“I’ve always told you that I was like you when I was a teenager. I resented those who loved me, and I hurt them because I was hurt. So, when my parents banished me from our village, it was the biggest wake-up call I needed to grow up and become the man Senna needed me to be. I learned so much. So… after you had that party at Unalaq’s…”

Every vessel in Korra’s body froze.

“Oh god,” she whispered, stepping back, which felt like more of a stagger. 

“Unalaq called and told us the next day, and I was so furious,” Tonraq continued even as he struggled. “Your mother was upset too, but not on the same level that I was. I thought you needed to learn what it was like to be on your own for a while. Without any of us.” 

“So you had me kicked out? _You_ did this?” Korra exploded. Tears stung in her eyes as she glared at her father. “And instead of stabbing me in the front, you were a coward and had your brother do the dirty work for you?” 

Tonraq walked closer. “When I told him, he agreed it would be a good idea. And he told me that you had a friend you were close with who you’d stay with in the meanwhile. It wasn’t going to be permanent, so we didn’t think we had anything to worry about.”

“You were wrong!” she lashed out and shoved him away. The photo crumbled in her hands and she let it fall to the ground. “You couldn’t have been more wrong!” 

Tonraq closed his eyes and nodded. “He called us months later and told us he didn’t know where you were. And your mother was so devastated, but I… I couldn’t—”

“You what? Couldn’t tell her the truth?” Korra’s chest rose and fell, her breathing hard and uneven. She thought she was going to be sick. “You’ve been lying to her for eight years, and you’ve had so much time to fix this. All the times I called and spoke to Mom… the Christmas’s and all of the birthdays I spent alone. Before any of it happened— _all_ that’s happened to me.” 

Tonraq put his hand over his eyes and wiped them with his thumb and index finger. He released a shaky breath. 

“I know I can’t make up for any of that. But I want to fix it now.”

“It’s too late for that!” Korra yelled at him. Rather than backing away from the force of her voice, Tonraq tried to come closer and reach for her. Korra shoved him away harder. “Get away! Don’t you fucking touch me!” 

Tonraq bent down and got on his knees in haste, providing Korra with a disturbing sight equal to everything she just learned. 

“Please…” his voice crumbled. “I know how hard this is to hear, but I wanted us to deal with it by ourselves.”

“So that way we don’t have to tell Mom, right?” Korra said, and a whimper left her. She saw right through him now. Every flaw, every imperfection, and every blemish. She saw what he worked so hard to keep everyone else from seeing as he kneeled before her, a few tears of his own falling. A man who was supposed to protect her from the monsters had the ugliest face of them all. 

“Korra, please. If your mom ever found out about this… I think she’d really leave me. I almost broke us before, and I can’t do it again. She couldn’t survive that, because she’s not like us. You and I… we’re both so tainted.”

Korra’s heart shattered. 

“And what about the times I couldn’t survive? All those times you made me feel like I was a waste of an existence—a waste of a breath? But I guess you never thought of that, right? You were too busy trying to cover your own _taint_.”

Tonraq shook his head and made one last attempt to reach out to Korra by grabbing her leg. Korra shook him off and forced him to fall forward on his hands. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, and repeated it several times. “I know how much this has hurt you.”

“You don’t,” Korra whispered as more tears fell and her breaths came in and out in short gasps. “You don’t, because you would realize that you didn’t hurt me. You _broke_ me.”

Korra turned from him and walked away. Her father’s desperate pleas for her to come back made her walk faster until she broke out into a full run. The wind smacked her wet face as the night fell over her. She raced forward into that darkness.

Broken. Scared. Alone. Damaged. And now tainted. 

That was all she ever thought of herself as. But now she had that confirmation from the only person whose words caused her suffering. Yet it all made sense why it had to be him. He was everything she resented when she looked in the mirror. 

**TBC…**


	8. The Darkness That Looms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to @jellolegos for your spectacular artwork! I'll sing your praises to the moon and back ❤️
> 
> CW // blood, implied self-harm

“Hey, I wanted to check in and see where you guys are. It’s getting kind of late... Can you call me when you get this? Love you.” 

Asami hung up the phone and placed it to the side. 

“Still no answer?” Senna asked. 

“No.” Asami worried her lip. “I figured they’d at least be on their way by now.” 

“I’m taking that as a good sign. The longer they spend away, the more they have the opportunity to talk to each other alone. Would you mind helping me with some of these?” 

“Sure.” Asami grabbed the dish of soup from the stove and brought it into the dining room. “You’ll have to vouch for me when I tell Korra that I made some of this.”

Senna laughed. “Of course.” 

They set the table together. Once they finished, Senna took one look at her disheveled clothing and made a noise of disgust. 

“Maybe it’s a good thing they aren’t back yet. I’m gonna go wash up really fast.”

“Take your time.”

Senna thanked her and then went upstairs. Once she was alone, Asami pulled out her phone again and checked her notifications. Still nothing. 

She knew the reception out on the water had to be bad, which was why the only time Korra texted her was upon their arrival. But they’d been gone for four hours now, and the sun had long since set. 

Asami’s growing paranoia made her call Korra again. She listened to it ring six times before it went to Korra’s voicemail. After hanging up, she walked into the great room and started drafting a text. But as she prepared to send it, she saw headlights pull into the driveway from the large window. 

Asami breathed a sigh of relief. “Finally.”

She walked outside and shivered when a gust of wind blew against her. Bundling her cardigan around her, she watched Tonraq’s car shut off. He was the first to get out. Asami smiled and waved over at him pleasantly. 

“Hey, I wondered why it was taking so long. Did you guys have a good time?” The headlights shut off. Asami could only see Tonraq’s silhouette, but then he stepped into the light pouring out of the front door. He remained silent despite Asami’s inquiry. Asami didn’t know if he realized she said anything at all, or her presence. Then, a second after that observation, she noticed that the passenger door had yet to open. 

“Where’s Korra?” she asked. Her concern grew when he came to an abrupt halt at her words, noticing her finally.

“She’s not back yet?” he asked, sounding alarmed, a bit unhinged even. An unsettling feeling formed in Asami’s gut that forced her into urgency.

“What do you mean? Why isn’t she with you?” 

Tonraq began to mumble to himself and raked his fingers through his hair. He appeared tired but also desperate. 

“It was a mistake… Knew I shouldn’t have…,” he trailed off, then followed with something else indiscernible. 

“What did you do to her?” Asami accused. Despite her size, it took everything not to grab him by the flaps of his jacket and force him to speak in full sentences. Right now, his expression and odd behavior sent her mind onto a freight train headed to hysteria. “ _What_ happened?”

When Tonraq looked at her finally, the disturbing look in his eyes remained. 

“I did what _you_ suggested. I was honest with her, and now… now I might lose everything.”

“What are you talking about? Where is she?” 

“I don’t know. We were talking and… She didn’t like what I had to say, so she ran off.”

“And you just _let_ her?” She didn’t care that he was Korra’s father. She was _this_ close to ripping him apart with her bare hands.

“I figured she needed some space from me. I thought she would’ve taken a cab—” 

Asami cursed and pulled out her phone, dialing Korra's number with unsteady hands. As it rang, she turned and ran back into the house in search of her keys and jacket. Her heart was racing, and her fast movements and turns made her feel dizzy. Korra’s phone went to voicemail for the third time, and she tried to keep her voice calm despite her panic.

“Korra, please pick up. I don’t know what he said to you, but it’s gonna be all right. I just need to know where you are and that you’re safe.” She exited the house and found Tonraq there pacing around. He showed no resemblance of being the composed and intimidating person she saw him as before. But she didn’t have time to concern herself with him. “How close is that fishing spot from here?” she asked. 

Tonraq stopped pacing when he noticed her there. 

“It’s about 20 minutes by car,” he told her. 

Asami remote started her engine. “Are there any places close near there?”

“A few. The spot I took her is near the city, so there’s a ton of restaurants… a couple of bars.” 

And the blows kept coming. 

Asami released a sigh of frustration and pulled up her Notes app on her phone. 

“I need you to write down the closest bars in that area.” She handed over the phone to him. Or she tried to at least. Tonraq didn’t take it right away. She snapped due to irritation and wariness. “Now!” 

“I... I should be the one to find her. It’s my fault, so I’ll go. I can get a couple of my guys to do a search—” 

“No,” Asami barked. “Whatever you’ve done, that’s enough for right now. And if what you said to her initiated _this_ type of response, she clearly doesn’t want to be around you. So, with all due respect, I need you to write down these names and stop wasting time.” 

She thrust the phone into his hands with force. It took another second for him to respond, but then he started typing on the phone furiously. When he handed it back over, Asami snatched it from him and brushed past his shoulder as she walked by. 

“Wh-what can I do?” he called out, forcing Asami to stop over by her car. She turned to him. 

“That’s a question you should’ve asked yourself a long time ago. Right now, you better hope I find her in one piece. And you can go explain to Senna why the dinner we’ve been preparing for you guys will now go to waste.”

She didn’t wait for a response and got in the car. She had so many racing thoughts, the frequent one being of regret. She wished she would’ve gone with Korra or told her not to go at all. As much as she tried to rationalize that this was the right move, there was a reason why that bubble of apprehension remained in a corner of her chest. 

She looked down at her hands and realized they were shaking. 

“No, no, no,” she whispered and shook herself out of it. There was no time. 

Plugging in her phone, she turned on the GPS and entered the first destination on Tonraq’s list. 

* * *

“Have you seen this woman in here at all tonight?” Asami showed the bartender a picture of Korra. 

The woman paused from wiping down the counter and looked at the phone. She shook her head. “Nope. Sorry. But can I get you anything?” 

Asami sighed and pushed her hair out of her face. “No. No thank you.” 

She already went to three bars in the past hour, and so far, no one so much as caught a glimpse of her girlfriend. While on the surface it appeared to be a good sign, Asami couldn’t be sure of that until she saw Korra with her own eyes. She still had no idea what conversation Tonraq had with Korra. But if Korra couldn’t be in the same car with him or answer Asami’s calls, the conversation could’ve been enough to cause a downward spiral. Asami only feared the outcome. In her head, the “right now” wasn’t as important as the after. Korra's current state wouldn’t be permanent, but her choices could cause major repercussions and a ton of regrets. 

The thought of those “choices” made Asami squeeze her eyes shut. As much as she didn’t want to think about it, or even consider the possibility of it, there were stronger substances out there to consume. Korra was a resourceful human being too. If she sought something out hard enough, she would more than likely get her hands on it. 

“Excuse me,” she called out to the bartender again. The woman came over after serving a group at a table. Asami counted to three seconds before opening her eyes and meeting the confused bartender’s. “If you were looking for a place to get high, where would you go?” she asked in a whisper. 

“Are you the feds?” the bartender asked, raising a brow. 

Asami shook her head, and she sounded as restless as she looked. “No. I’m just trying to find my girlfriend before… She’s not in a good place right now. So please, if you know something—anything—it would be so helpful. I can pay you if that’s what you want.”

“Relax. I’m messing with you,” said the bartender. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her notepad and pen. Asami watched her scribble something down, then she tore out the piece of paper and handed it over. “There’s this guy who calls himself Gunn. He lives right behind this motel a couple of blocks away. You’ll know it when you see it even without the address. It’s your typical, run-of-the-mill trap house.” 

Asami stared down at the piece of paper. She noticed the small tremble in her hand once again.

“Thank you,” she said and got up from the stool.

She walked to the car and got inside. As she started plugging in the address, she noticed several missed calls and texts from Senna. She scrolled through them to see if Korra made it back, but none of them indicated that. In fact, it appeared that Senna still had no clue what was going on. But Asami didn’t either, so she had no response to give at the moment. Then again, Tonraq should’ve been the one giving her the answers right about now. So why wasn’t he?

An irate noise left her mouth. There were too many unanswered questions, and the clock was ticking. She needed to focus on finding Korra for the time being. But before heading down that most dangerous path, she thought to try Korra’s phone one more time. 

After dialing the number with a sigh, she put the phone on speaker and listened to it ring. She prepared to hang up when it looked like she would go to voicemail once again, but then the ringing stopped and she heard muffled noises in her ear. 

“Oh, thank God! Korra?” Asami said, not even waiting for a proper greeting.

“Hello?” A man’s voice answered. 

“Wh-who is this?” Asami asked, her voice rising in alarm. “Is this Gunn?”

“Who?” the man asked, talking over the loud music playing in the background. 

“You have 10 seconds to put the owner of this phone on the line or I’m calling the police.”

“Just chill out for a second, lady. My name is Jesse. I’m the owner of the Striped Room Bar on Ave Royale.”

“Why do you have my girlfriend’s phone?”

“She came in a few hours ago and got trashed. I’ve called her a cab twice and each time she’s refused to leave. Pretty much threatened violence on one of my guys if he tried to touch her. She’s over on the floor having a real party with herself and left her phone on the bar. I saw you calling and picked up. That’s it.”

Asami didn’t know it was possible to be so relieved, pissed, heartbroken, and terrified all at the same time. 

“Can you put her on the phone?” 

“I don’t think she’s coherent enough at the moment to pick up a pencil. Anyway, you or someone needs to get down here soon, or else I’m gonna be the one calling the police. Address number is 702—Ah fuck. She spotted me.”

Over the music, there were loud voices and shouting, and she could make out Korra’s voice. Seconds later, the line went dead. 

Asami sat there without words at the sudden turn of events, but then the moment passed. She trashed the paper in her hands, then threw on her seatbelt and put the car in drive. Although she feared what she was about to see, she knew that it would only get worse the more minutes she spent agonizing over it. 

She arrived at the bar 5 minutes later and parked crookedly in a haste to get inside. The bar itself was large and dim-lit. It wasn’t super crowded, so it was easier to move around. Although, it also made her think about how easy it would be to cause a scene. In fact, for some reason, a lot of people were standing up. Not in a social gathering sort of way, but as if gathered due to a conundrum. 

Asami searched every face and failed to spot Korra’s. As she looked around the room, she noticed a knocked-over table that a few patrons were helping to set right. Then she heard a loud banging noise that made her follow everyone else’s gaze over to the bathroom. 

“I’m getting the police on the phone right now if you don’t come out,” a familiar voice shouted. More pounding on the door followed it.

Asami sprinted over. Three people were standing near the women’s restroom, one guy in a black suit looking fed up.

“Are you Jesse?” Asami asked. 

The dark-haired man, who was a couple of inches shorter than her, turned. 

“I’m in the middle of something, so could you hold on for a second?”

“No, I can’t. I was the one you were on the phone with.”

Jesse whipped around. “Fantastic. Take this woman and get her the hell out of my establishment.” 

“What happened?”

“She didn’t like that I called you and started acting like a psycho. Stole a $400 bottle from my bar and locked herself in the bathroom. We’ve been trying to get her to come out, but she’s been unresponsive. Then there was a loud shattering noise a minute ago that sounded even more expensive, mind you.”

Asami pushed past the two people in her way and stood right in front of the owner. 

“Tell them to leave,” she spoke quietly, glancing at the two employees. 

Jesse’s eyes lingered on her face for a moment, then he motioned at the others to walk away. When they were out of earshot, Asami exhaled and reached into her purse. She pulled out her checkbook and a pen. 

“This is for the stolen bottle and any other damages done. But in return, keep the police out of it and let me take her out the backdoor.”

She wrote down an insignificant number and tore the check out of the book. When she handed it over, Jesse looked down at it, contemplation in his eyes. 

“Get her out of here in the next five minutes. He pocketed the check and then handed over the key to the bathroom. A second later, he walked away. 

Asami turned toward the bathroom door and took a deep breath, attempting to slow her racing heart. She placed her palm flat against the door, then she knocked. 

“Korra, it’s me,” she said, imagining her voice sounding muffled. “Open the door, please.”

Dead silence met her unfulfilled request. Asami took another deep breath. 

“I’m coming in then,” she announced.

She inserted the key and struggled with the old door for a second. When the knob fully rotated, she pushed the stubborn piece of wood open. 

The second she entered, she caught a huge whiff of tequila that stung her nose and made her eyes water. She tried to ignore it as she took in the sight of the room. But then her eyes lowered, and her heart dropped. 

Korra sat there on the floor beside the toilet with her back against the wall. She had her head down and one of her hands clutched the front of her scalp. 

“Korra,” Asami whispered and walked inside. The sound of crunching underneath her shoes made her look down. Shattered glass covered the floor from the bottle Korra stole, hence the pungent smell. And when Asami looked over at the sink, she saw the smashed in mirror from the bottle by the looks of it. After shutting the door behind her and locking it, she walked over and kneeled in front of Korra. 

“Hey, it’s me. I’m here…” She touched Korra’s shoulder, but Korra brushed it off.

“Go away, Asami,” she spoke in an icy tone. 

Asami flinched at the rejection and her eyes widened. 

“What?” she asked, and then went to stroke Korra’s face this time. “Korra, look at me—”

The more she tried to touch her, the antsier Korra became. She shook her head violently and prevented Asami’s hands from reaching her. “You shouldn’t be here. I didn’t answer your 20 million calls for a reason.” 

Her words slurred. When she looked up to meet Asami’s eyes, she could barely focus. The outer rims of her eyes were puffy and red, a hint of moisture in them. Asami saw this and had to keep herself from falling apart. 

“You’re drunk. We need to get you home.”

“ _Home?_ What home? There’s nothing there for me. It’s all lies.”

“We can talk about this when we get in the car. Come on, get up.”

“No. I’m not goin’ anywhere.” 

Asami glanced back at the door in nervousness. “Korra, we don’t have time.”

“Then don’t bother!” Korra yelled and tried to push Asami toward the doorway, but her efforts were weak. “Just leave!” 

“And where am I supposed to go without you, huh?” Asami asked, getting angry at Korra’s attempts to isolate herself. 

“Anywhere. Everywhere. But not here.” 

“‘Wherever you are I wanna be.’ Isn’t that what we say?”

“What aren’t you understanding? I don’t _want_ you here. I don’t want you seeing me like this and giving me some pep talk of the day. All I’ll ever do is disappoint you anyway. Just accept it. I’m never gonna be the person you want.”

“You’re _everything_ that I want,” Asami argued. 

Korra scoffed. “Don’t lie to yourself. Even after all this time together, you still don’t trust me. You think I’ll leave you again.”

“That’s not true.”

 _“Stop lying to me!”_ Korra shouted, startling Asami. “Why does everyone lie? Am I not worthy of the truth?”

Asami remained calm despite the outburst. 

“You are worthy,” she spoke quietly. “You’re worthy of a lot more than even I can give you.”

Korra shook her head in denial and started crying. Not just a few tears, but actual sobs breaking from her mouth and her chest heaving. The excitement ended up being too much. It caused her to push Asami away again so that she could lean over the toilet and vomit.

Asami got up on her knees and came behind Korra to hold her hair back. She held her breath, trying not to inhale any of what Korra regurgitated. The spell lasted a few minutes, and then Korra pulled away and slumped against the wall. Asami flushed the toilet, but when she took her hand off the handle, she noticed the mess of red on her right palm and her wrist. And it wasn’t only on her. There were smears of it going across the toilet seat as well. She looked around in confusion at first, but then she froze. 

Most of the broken glass remained over by the door and sink, but a couple of shards ended up over by them, including one of the larger ones located beside Korra’s hip. What made Asami freeze was the sight of blood on the sharp edge of the glass. Her eyes then shifted to Korra’s right hand and she gasped. 

“Shit!” She reached for Korra’s hand and tried finding the source of the wound, but there was too much blood. “What the hell did you do?” she shouted in panic. But instead of waiting for an answer, she got up and grabbed some paper towels from the dispenser. After wetting them with hot water from the tap, she got on her knees again and grabbed Korra’s hand. “We have to stop the bleeding.”

“Asami—”

“Don’t you dare tell me to leave again,” Asami snapped as she pressed the wad of paper towels into Korra’s palm and wrapped them around it. It would only help for so long. They needed to go to an emergency room. 

Korra’s voice wobbled. “You don’t need to see me like this,” she said again.

“A little blood and some inebriated thoughts aren’t enough. You’re going to have to try a lot harder to push me away. You know that. I love you too much.” 

Korra shook her head as more tears fell, followed by a heartbreaking cry. She tried to tear her hands away from Asami’s grip. 

“You’re lying,” she said again. 

“Why would I lie about that?” Asami tried to stop Korra’s struggling. “I love you and I need you.”

“Just stop,” Korra cried, heaving again between her each word she spoke. “You deserve better than damaged goods. It’s always gonna be the same. _I’m_ never gonna be enough. I wasn’t for him, and I never will be for you.”

This time Asami shook her head, tears of anger filling her eyes. “You don’t get to decide that. I know what’s good enough for me and I know what I can and cannot handle. So I don’t care what you throw at me, I’m still going to be here.”

Korra closed her eyes and her voice became heavy. “Then you’re a fool.”

“Fine, I’m a fool. I don’t care.”

A loud knock came on the door. 

“Hey! It’s been more than five minutes!” Jesse yelled. 

Asami glanced at the door, then focused her attention on Korra again. She cupped her face despite the blood on her hands. “Korra—Korra, look at me. Right here.” 

Korra sobbed and squeezed her eyes as she hiccuped. “I can’t.”

“Why? Why not?” 

“B-because…”

Jesse banged on the door even louder this time, threatening to call the police again. Asami fought the urge to slip into panic mode. She needed to remain calm if she ever planned on getting them out of there. 

“Korra, please. If you love me as much as I love you, and if you don’t want to hurt me, you’ll come with me right now. Please… don’t leave me again. I need you. _Please._ ”

Asami kept her voice at a whisper while caressing Korra’s inner wrist. Just as she began to lose hope, Korra surrendered and she crumbled, falling forward into Asami’s arms and crying into her shoulder. Asami wrapped herself around her girlfriend and pulled her into a strong hold.

“I failed. I fucked up—I’m _so_ fucked up,” Korra said between her sobs. 

“Shh. I’ve got you, I promise,” Asami said. She brought Korra’s arm around her shoulder and lifted them both up to their feet. Korra fell against her, still crying and unable to walk properly. 

Asami led them away from the wall, glancing down at the bloody glass shard on the floor one last time before looking ahead. When she unlocked the door and opened it, Jesse stood there with his arms crossed and a disgusted look on his face.

“The door is that way,” he pointed. “Get the hell out and don’t come back.”

Asami willed her glare to be enough to set the man on fire, but she didn’t say anything back. She handed over the key and they stumbled a little as they made it to the door and down an alley. The car wasn’t far, but every few seconds they would stop so Asami could readjust, or when Korra pushed away from her because she thought she would puke. She was right two out of those three times. 

When they got to the car, Asami unlocked the doors and helped Korra get inside. After strapping her in, she paused when she noticed the bloody fingerprints on Korra’s cheek and some leftover vomit on her chin. Asami reached into the glove compartment and found a couple of wet wipes. She wiped Korra’s face a few times, then her own blood-soaked hand that she forced herself not to think about. When she finished, she closed the passenger door and ran over to her side. 

“Okay, okay,” she said after getting in the car. She sat there for only a second to remember what she needed to do next. “Hospital.”

Grabbing her phone, she checked for the closest one nearby, which was luckily 12 minutes away. She strapped her seatbelt on and put the car in drive. They got onto the main road and she glanced over at Korra who leaned against the window with her eyes closed. 

“Hey,” Asami reached over and shook her. “You need to stay awake, okay? Don’t fall asleep.”

Korra tried to sit up straighter, but she still hadn’t stopped crying, making it difficult. 

“Why’d you even come for me?” she asked when she could finally speak. 

“I told you. Because I love you.”

“You shouldn’t. Not after this.”

“It’s not your fault. Whatever happened… it’s a reaction to whatever it is your father said. But we can fix this.”

“He’s _not_ my father,” Korra spat out, her tone shifting drastically from before. “He never was. And I don’t want to fix it.”

“We need to focus on one thing at a time, and the priority is getting you to a doctor.”

“No. I don’t wanna go to a hospital.” 

“You need stitches. That cut is deep and I don’t see the bleeding stopping any time soon on its own. Do this for me, please?”

Korra didn’t argue. Instead, she leaned against the window again. Asami kept having to look over and make sure she didn’t fall asleep, but at one point she caught sight of a disturbing image. Korra sat there, staring blankly out of the window, her hair a mess, and her bloody hand soaking through the now useless makeshift bandage. Seeing that made Asami step harder on the gas. 

When they got to the hospital, Asami parked as close as she could to the emergency wing and helped Korra out. When they got inside, she gained the attention of the closest nurse she could find. 

“My goodness,” the woman said, looking at the gash in Korra’s hand after removing the bloody paper towels. “What happened here?”

Asami looked over at Korra. Her skin was slightly off-color and her eyes still out of focus. She didn’t meet the nurse’s gaze or look up at all at her surroundings. 

“She fell on some glass,” answered Asami.

The nurse nodded and looked between them both. She studied Korra the longest. 

“Ma’am, are you under the influence right now?” she asked in a nonjudgmental tone. When Korra nodded, she then asked, “what’s your name?” 

There was a noticeable hesitation before Korra gave it up.

The nurse decided that Korra needed stitches as soon as possible before she lost any more blood. After leading them over to a patient bed, the nurse walked away in search of some medical supplies and to page a doctor. Korra sat there quiet as a mouse. Meanwhile, Asami filled out the admittance paperwork (since Korra obviously couldn't) and talked to herself out loud to keep Korra conscious and responsive. But Korra wasn’t listening. Even though she was drunk, it didn’t wipe away her anxiety of being inside hospital walls. Her foot wouldn’t stop bouncing. 

The doctor came over 30 minutes later, along with the nurse who wheeled a cart up to the bed. The doctor introduced himself and sat down on a stool. He put on a pair of gloves and took Korra’s hand in his to examine the wound. 

“It’s pretty deep, but it looks clean. I’ll need to do an X-Ray to make sure. I’m just going to give you a shot of a local anesthetic first.” He reached onto the cart and picked up a needle, giving it a single flick. 

“No!” Korra jerked away, sounding the most alert she’d been in the past hour. 

Asami’s head snapped up at the sharp reaction, and she noticed the concerned expression on the doctor’s face. He looked to Asami for an explanation. 

Standing up, Asami put the clipboard down and walked over to the bed. 

“It’s okay. It’s just going to numb the pain for you.”

“I can’t,” Korra mumbled in shame. 

Asami brushed some messy strands out of Korra’s face and waited for her to lift her chin. 

“Just look at me. It’ll be over in a minute, I promise.”

Korra’s besotted expression held panic, but still, she followed Asami’s suggestion. The doctor administered the drug quickly after that. 

The longer their eyes locked and Korra struggled to hold her gaze, Asami’s chest ached harder. She glanced down at the jagged, incarnadine gash. She hoped it wouldn’t scar. The nonphysical ones Tonraq left on Korra over the years were enough, and it looked like they still weren’t ready to heal. And despite Asami’s best efforts, she couldn’t make any of them sting less.

Korra had it wrong. She wasn’t the failure, but Asami certainly was.

* * *

Once the doctor finished the stitches, he dressed Korra’s wound and gave Asami instructions for cleaning it. After Asami signed more paperwork and the discharge papers, they were free to go.

Korra still needed help getting back to the car, though she stubbornly tried to walk for herself. When they got into the car, she spoke for the first time in a while. 

“I can’t go back there.” 

Mentally exhausted, Asami sighed and leaned back against her seat. She turned her face in Korra’s direction. “I know it’s hard, but your mom is so worried about you. She needs to see that you’re okay.” When everything calmed down enough at the hospital, she texted Senna and informed her that she and Korra were safe. As for an update on Korra’s well-being… she couldn’t find any words, so she left the message short.

Korra’s jaw locked at the mentioning of Senna, then she looked away. 

They drove back to the house in silence that only put Asami more on edge. When they finally got back, they only made it out of the car before the front door opened and Senna rushed out. 

“Thank goodness! I was so worried about you two.” She pulled Korra into a tight hug. When she didn’t receive an equal amount of affection, she leaned back and looked at Korra. A second later, she noticed Korra’s rumpled clothing and hair, then she gasped at her bandaged hand. “Honey, what happened to you? Are you okay?” 

Senna reached for Korra’s hand, but Korra moved it away at the last second. 

“I’m fine. I need to go to bed,” she uttered dismissively. 

Senna’s eyes widened, and she appeared troubled as she watched Korra make her way up to the house. 

“Are you… drunk?” Senna asked in a whisper to Korra’s retreating back, but Korra walked into the house without another word. “Asami, what’s going on? You took so long to respond to my messages. What’s wrong with her?”

“I found her that way. Did… Did you speak with Tonraq?” Asami looked in the driveway and noticed his car was missing. 

“I haven’t seen him. He hasn’t come home yet.”

“What?” Asami looked at Senna in disbelief. “He-He was here. He should’ve spoken to you.”

“I texted him and he said he was going to look around for Korra. Something about a misunderstanding. I texted him and said you found her and were on your way back and he said he’d be here soon. Do you know what happened between them?”

“I don’t know.” Asami turned to the front door and became distracted. “I’m sorry, Senna, but she needs me right now.”

She remorsefully excused herself and followed after Korra, who made it all the way upstairs before needing to use a wall to balance herself. Asami was there at her side in an instant and helped her to the room the rest of the way. When they got inside, Asami sat Korra down on the bed and started removing her jacket, along with her shoes. 

“We need to get you cleaned up,” she said, brushing the hair out of Korra’s face. “I’ll run a shower for you. We just have to make sure we keep your bandages dry as the doctor instructed…” 

She trailed off when she heard footsteps too heavy to be Senna’s coming down the hall. But she didn’t turn to acknowledge them. Instead, she found herself transfixed on Korra’s expression, the way her eyes narrowed, and how she sneered.

“Korra…” a heavy, aggrieved voice said. Asami looked over her shoulder and saw Tonraq standing there in the doorway, panting. He must've arrived only a minute after they did. “Korra, please…”

“Get. Out,” Korra said through her teeth. When Asami turned to her again, she noticed Korra’s shoulders shaking and her hands balling into tight fists. 

“Just let me explain,” Tonraq whispered. 

**_“LEAVE!”_ **

Asami jumped up and walked over to the door. She touched Tonraq’s arm and pushed him out until they were both in the hallway and out of Korra’s sight. 

“I need to talk to her,” Tonraq said. 

“And she’s made it clear that that’s not what she wants. So please, respect her wishes and give her some space.”

“Please, I…” Tonraq brushed his hair back and sighed. Asami watched him for a moment, analyzed his mannerisms, and how similarly—but not as noticeable as Korra's—his eyes darted around. And when he spoke, Asami caught the slightest whiff of whisky.

“You’re exactly who she doesn’t need to see right now,” Asami decided with a revolted expression. 

“Tonraq?”

They turned and saw Senna walking up to them, arms folded and a look on her face that expressed an oncoming choleric reaction. 

“Senna, wait—” 

“What did you do? What the _hell_ is wrong with my daughter?” 

Asami tried hard not to wince at the sharpness in Senna’s tone, and she had to watch Tonraq struggle to find words. When he couldn’t offer anything right then and there, he walked over to Senna and touched her by the arm, urging her to come with him. As they walked out of earshot, Asami hurried back into Korra’s room and found her there in the same position, her eyes distant and fists still clenched. 

Asami kneeled in front of her and grabbed her hands. 

“You’re going to reopen your stitches. Unclench your fists,” she said. But Korra didn’t listen, still in a reverie. Asami took Korra’s fists and brought them to her own face. “Hey. Look at me. Right here...”

Asami held her breath for too long of a time before Korra’s eyes came back into focus. Then the hands on her face began to loosen. Korra’s fingertips brushed against Asami’s cheeks. 

“Asami,” she whimpered. 

Asami caressed her inner wrists and brought their foreheads together. “I’m here.” 

“I wanna go home,” Korra said as more tears threatened to spill. 

“We will. We can leave in the morning if that’s what you want. Right now, you need to get cleaned up and sleep some of this off.”

Korra inhaled sharply and let her good hand fall to clutch the front of her shirt, right over her heart.

“It hurts so much,” she whispered.

Asami held Korra’s face and her voice shook. “I know, baby. Just hold it, okay? For a little while longer, just hold it.”

Korra closed her eyes as tears leaked out and gave a small nod. 

Asami turned her head to the side and she kissed Korra’s bandaged hand, then the other one. 

“Wait here. I’ll get everything ready for you.” 

She reluctantly pulled herself out of Korra’s grasp and stood up. Walking over to the dresser, she pulled out some of Korra’s clothes, then she left the room and shut the door behind her. She turned in the direction of the bathroom and paused when she heard voices down the hall. They were loud but indistinct because Tonraq and Senna shut their bedroom door.

Asami went down to the bathroom. She turned on the shower, letting it heat up. As that happened, she allowed herself to finally breathe for a second. She sat down on the closed toilet seat, inhaling and exhaling, though each breath came out staggered.

She noticed the trembling in her hands again and stared down at them. They shook harder than the first time. 

It appeared that her body was also catching up with recent events. For the whole night, she didn’t give herself the chance to process, instead putting her efforts and focus into taking care of Korra. But right now, as she sat there, it all began to sink in. The thoughts she didn’t let herself have of Korra’s disappearance and never finding her; the meaning behind Korra’s befuddled words, as well as her rejection of Asami’s presence.

“Keep it together, keep it together,” she whispered to herself as she fought off a panic attack. There was no time for it, and Korra needed her to hold everything else down as she fell apart. 

It surprised her when she heard the door open. She stood up as Korra walked inside. 

“Hey, I was going to come and get you,” Asami said, playing off her momentary freakout. “Are you okay?” She cursed inwardly at having asked such a dumb question. 

“I think he left,” Korra said, the distance in her voice matching her eyes. “The door… I heard it.”

Asami stepped closer. “I didn’t hear anything,” she spoke with softness and touched Korra’s arm. “Come on, I’ve got the shower running for you.” 

Korra didn’t meet Asami’s eye-level, but she began to remove her clothes. Once she stripped down, she walked to the tub, but then she paused before going inside. 

“Will you stay?” she asked, still staring ahead. 

“I’m right here.”

Korra pulled back the curtain and stepped inside the tub. 

Worrying her lip, Asami wondered if she should jump in with her or not. But she didn’t want Korra to think she was being coddled or smothered. She made up her mind and decided to sit there and wait. 

She managed to gain her composure in a matter of seconds. They only needed to get through the rest of the night, and then they could leave in the morning. They had another day and a half left, but Asami knew that she was lucky Korra even agreed to stay for the rest of this night. Now she was beginning to regret her decision to drive. She wanted to get Korra back home as fast as possible so that she could decompress and come out of her current state. Then Korra could tell her what happened that turned this night into total disarray. She tried to think of all the possible things Tonraq could’ve said, but nothing detrimental came to mind. Possibly because she still had a hard time believing that this was their reality. After her conversation with Tonraq the other night, she hoped she got through to him. But after his bitter admittance to doing what Asami suggested, she wondered… Was this her fault? Was she the person to blame for whatever happened tonight?

The shower didn’t last long. Korra got out, then brushed her teeth and washed her face. Asami handed her the clothes she brought in with her and watched Korra get dressed. Despite the prowess shown through taut muscles, Korra never looked so fragile. Her slumped shoulders and clumsy movements gave off the same level of defeat Tonraq showed earlier. Asami hadn’t seen it from Korra in a long time.

They walked back to the room and Asami waited for Korra to get under the sheets before turning out the lights and getting in bed with her. She wrapped her arm around Korra’s waist and moved closer, bringing her front against Korra’s back. Despite the hot shower she just took, she felt so cold to touch. 

The silence lasted for a while, but then Asami felt Korra’s body shake, and then muffled cries left her lips. Asami held her tighter and whispered soft words. She meant to provide solace, but that only seemed to produce more sobs from Korra. Asami buried her face in her girlfriend’s neck after that, deciding she was better off being quiet instead. 

_One night,_ she told herself. One night and then they could put this all behind them and move forward. Korra, after all, was the better out of the two of them for being able to do that. 

But as more sobs flooded Asami’s ears, she had an inkling sense that they were only facing the whirlwind of a storm that still brewed. 

* * *

The next morning came, but it took a lot longer than Asami hoped.

Though Korra did fall asleep after she was all out of tears to weep, she would sometimes rustle around in her sleep, mumbling things that Asami couldn’t decipher whenever she heard it. That went on for the entire night. 

When Asami woke up after a successful two hours of sleep, she found Korra already dressed and packing her things. Her eyes were still bloodshot and she showed signs of fatigue. 

Asami sat up in bed and attempted to clear the sleep out of her voice. “Don’t push yourself. I can do that.” 

“I’m fine,” Korra mumbled, not looking Asami’s way. She stuffed a couple of Asami’s things into her own suitcase, not caring in the slightest what was or wasn’t hers. 

Getting up from the bed, Asami walked over to Korra and tried to stop her. 

“You’re hungover. Let me see if there’s some Aspirin or something. Make some coffee…”

“I said I’m fine,” Korra answered coldly and pulled away to continue packing. She couldn’t even meet Asami’s gaze anymore, much like when Asami found her last night.

Asami watched her for a while and then sighed, deciding to get ready herself. At this rate, the drive would feel longer than before. 

She put on some clothes and then went to the bathroom for a few minutes to do her morning rituals. She took her time, giving Korra some much-needed space, but also some to herself as well. There were a lot of questions she had, but she didn’t know if she could bear the weight of having them answered right now. She still had yet to come to terms with what happened a couple of hours ago, and anything more would cause her brain to swell. 

She looked at herself in the mirror, noticing the tiredness right away under her eyes. It didn’t compare to what she saw in Korra’s, though. 

After turning out the light, she walked out of the bathroom and back to Korra’s room. Her steps stuttered when she heard Senna’s voice. 

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” she asked in upset and confusion. “You’re supposed to stay until tomorrow at least.” 

“Yeah, well, plans change,” Korra said. When Asami reached the door, she saw Senna staring at Korra’s turned back with a hurt expression. 

“I don’t understand,” she said, walking toward her daughter. Korra kept her head down and started zipping up hers and Asami’s suitcases. “Stop for a second!” Senna said, putting her hand on top of both bags before Korra could grab them.

Korra kept her face turned in the opposite direction, but she stopped at her mother’s command. 

“Listen, I don’t know what happened between you and your father. Neither of you guys will talk to me and I’ve been up all night trying to figure this out on my own. But I can’t. Not without help. This isn’t the way to end things. We can fix this like how you and I fixed things.” 

Asami watched Korra’s eyes turn downward as she locked her jaw. 

“There’s no fixing this. It’s over. I’m done.”

Senna reached for Korra’s arms and forced her to turn. “I told you that I’m not going to lose you again. Please don’t do this.” 

Senna’s voice became thick, shaking as she held Korra’s arms in a tight, desperate grip. Even then, Korra kept her head down for a long time. When she looked up, her expression turned hard. 

“I lied to you the other day. I do still resent you.” 

“What?” Senna’s voice cracked and she shook her head in denial. “No, you don’t mean that. This isn’t you right now.” 

“You don’t know me,” Korra said, her tone darkening. “You never have, and you never will. I thought I could get over it, and that you doing these grand gestures for me would help, but it hasn’t. I haven’t felt like a part of this family for a long time, and I’ve got my own life now, so I don’t need you. That’s who you guys raised me to be, after all—on my own. And that’s why I’m able to look you in the eye right now and say that staying away from you guys was the _best_ decision I could’ve ever made.”

She withdrew herself from Senna’s hold, grabbed the suitcases, and rushed out of the room. In the process, she bumped into Asami by accident as she blew past her. 

Senna whipped around. “Korra!” she cried out, her voice breaking. One of her knees buckled and she sat down on the bed.

Asami, despite her shock, immediately went to Senna and hugged her. 

“I’m so sorry,” she said. 

Senna cried into her shoulder. “What happened? What did I do?”

“It’s not you. It’s not,” Asami whispered assuredly. She had to believe it wasn’t. That Korra’s outburst stemmed from whatever Tonraq said. Senna was only guilty by association. 

“I can’t do this. Not again,” Senna admitted. She was as tired and broken as the rest of them.

Asami pulled away, but she kept her hands placed on Senna’s shoulders in a firm grasp. 

“I’m going to figure this out, okay?” she told her. “Give me some time with her and she’ll come around. Trust me.”

Senna shut her eyes and another sob broke from her mouth. “That shouldn’t be your job. Tonraq… whatever happened… he’s responsible.” 

“He didn’t tell you anything?”

“No, he left last night and hasn’t come back. Probably slept at the office or... I don't know. He just _left_. Now she's leaving and he's not even—” Senna covered her mouth and shook her head.

Asami nodded, but all she wanted to do was scream. Preferably at the man in question.

“Whether it is or it isn’t my responsibility, I’m going to do it,” she said with resolve. “Korra needs you. She does. Despite what she’s feeling right now, I’ve seen how much your relationship has meant to her over these past few months. So please, give me time. That’s all I’m asking for.”

Senna took a minute to gather her composure, but when she finally did, she nodded. 

“Take care of her. That’s what I need to know the most right now—that she’s taken care of.”

Asami gave her a promising look. “I will.” 

Senna released a shaky breath and pulled Asami in for one last hug. After pulling away, she nudged her head in the direction of the door, signaling for Asami to go, and that was all Asami needed. She hurried down the stairs and outside to the driveway where her car was already running and Korra waited in the passenger seat. After a long exhale and brushing her hair out of her face, Asami walked to the car and got inside. 

Korra turned her body to the window, her elbow resting against it as she stared outside. A single tear rolled down her cheek and she angrily wiped it away. 

Asami reached out and touched her arm. 

“It’s going to be fine,” she said. 

Korra’s posture remained closed off, even from Asami’s touch, and she kept her face turned in the opposite direction. Completely unresponsive. 

Asami pulled away and shifted the gear to reverse out of the driveway. She watched as they backed further away from the house. It now reminded her of a house of mirrors—everything so close seemingly, but misleading in every corner. Then again, a mislead seemed far better than any sort of truth it gave. 

**(END)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it’s over. This whirlwind of a sidefic that I've been writing since last October is finally over, and I have so many thoughts that I'm unable to write down atm. I guess you could say this entire sidefic is what got me to make rwtp into a series. I’ve had this planned for a while. And when I say a while, I mean early on in the OG story. Don’t believe me? Go back and reread Chapter 12. I’ve had it planned for _that long._ I thought I would include it into the main story, but that would’ve saturated it with too many plot lines. Plus, I was able to plant more seeds, draw it out and make it even better than what I imagined. Don’t know if I’m 100% satisfied with it, but I’m pretty damn close, and for a perfectionist like me, that’s good! 
> 
> Thank you everyone for reading along, leaving comments, supporting me, and sticking with this story over the past 3 (going on 4) years. It's really means a lot. Stay safe out there and keep the faith. We're almost out of the woods (hopefully) ❤️
> 
> 3/11/21  
> Some of y’all have some rereading to do. You can start with The Offer and Nightmare. Also, no this is not the end! You guys will _know_ when the series is over! It’ll be marked as complete when it’s over. Relaaaaax.


End file.
